The Cave
by Himitsu no Tokumei
Summary: Taito. Matt, trying to change his feelings for Tai, decided to accept when Sora asked him out. And when Tai runs away, Matt may be the only one who knows where he went. Once together, though, hiding it may be the hardest part...
1. Prologue: The Cave

**EDIT: **Previously named **From Mistakes Arise Solutions**.

**EDIT:** One little thing I'd like to note, the description is only for the storyline up to a certain point. Not sure exactly where in the storyline that will be, it depends on how much detail I end up going into. And how much I put in after it, which I have a few things already lined up, just have to get to writing it...

The prologue is a flashback that introduces a scene that will recur later. I am hoping to put it in several times, but so far I only have one other time it is shown. This scene is only to introduce the place.

I am rating it T currently until it gets to the more explicit parts where I will then need to change the rating to M. This is going to be a Yaoi fanfic (MalexMale) between Taichi and Yamato. Might add some Daiken later.

I am not certain how long this is going to be. I have several plans of this to do, but the actual length is still in the air.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

_**Prologue: The Cave**_

_The two boys walked the woods near their summer camp. Sad expressions touched faces that had yet to see the turn of a 12__th__ year. Too sad, as if they had lost a dear friend. And, in a way, they had._

_"I miss them…" the brunette said, breaking the silence and drawing the blonde-haired boy's attention._

_"I miss them, too," he replied, crystalline blue eyes studying his friend's slightly tan face. "We all miss them. I bet they miss us, too."_

_"That doesn't help," the other boy shot, but no malice was in his voice. Chocolate eyes locked with oceanic ones, stopping both parties._

_"I'm meaning they won't forget us, Tai," the blonde stated, slightly annoyed at his friend's idiocy. "They will always care for us, as we care for them, so we are never really apart."_

_"Oh…" the boy called Tai muttered, breaking their stare by looking at the ground. After scuffing his shoe in the dirt for a moment, he looked up, a small grin on his face. "Thanks, Matt."_

_Matt nodded—he never smiled—and re-initiated their walk. It had been 2 months since they had returned from the digital world, and this would be their last visit to this place before school started._

_"But, you know," Tai grinned ridiculously, "I never expected you to cheer me up, Matt."_

_The offended male glared at his friend. "What's that supposed to mean?" Matt asked sharply._

_"I just didn't expect it," the brunette repeated disarmingly. Matt visible relaxed a bit._

_"Well, it's just that it's weird when someone is more down than I am," he defended, linking his hands behind his head._

_"Yeah, if you insist," Tai chuckled._

_"I do!" the blonde yelled, turning on the brunette only to see a strange expression on the tanned face. Following the other's gaze, he saw what had stopped his companion. A dark cave could be seen through the loose net of trees, boulders strewn about the entrance._

_"What do you think…?" Tai asked, his voice trailing off._

_"Only one way to find out," his comrade replied, already descending the slight slope that led to the clearing around the cave._

* * *

I know, really short. It seemed longer on paper... -_-' Please forgive me. I will try to get **Chapter 1: The Kiss **typed up soon.


	2. Chapter 1: The Kiss

Okay, I meant to get this out sooner than today, but we all see how well that went... Anyway, I have my reasons for taking so long. First of all, this is (technically) the third draft of this. My first draft is a roleplay with a friend, so Acknowledgments to you, you know who you are. I don't mean to sound conceited, but I don't know how to say this WITHOUT sounding so, so heer it goes. While it does start out as a roleplay, most of the ideas in it are mine, or ones of her's I have tweeked. The cave is a good example of that. It actually started out as a side conversation before we even started writing that they found when tehy were older. I tweeked it into what it will become and seen as later. The second draft is actually hand written. Yes, the ENTIRETY of this thing is handwritten first. Luckily I have small hand writing. And then it is typed and posted. Now, sometimes there is a fourth step that I do. Silly and strange as it sounds, sometimes I act out the scenes to see how they work. Meaning sometimes this is actually a fourth draft. So, yeah, it takes time to write. So if I take a while bringing the next chapter in, that is why.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Kiss **

"TK, hurry up!" Matt yelled to his younger brother as he ran down the hallway, almost tripping over the small hall table in his haste. Without slowing much (almost causing him to run into the wall at the turn), the blonde rushed into the living room, easily stopping in front of the couch. "Get up, Gabumon!" he yelled, shaking the blue-furred creature slumbering on the soft, maroon cushions of the loveseat.

A smaller blonde ran into the room, an orange, winged creature perched on his head. "What's wrong, Matt?" he asked, breathing slightly heave from the rush (and nearly tripping on the hall table) down the hall.

"Tai called," the older sibling replied, obviously getting annoyed with the couch's furred occupant. "He needs help at the pier, rampaging digimon." Moving behind the piece of maroon furniture, he yelled, "So get up!" Placing his hands under his sleeping digimon partner, he flipped the other onto the floor.

"I'm up, I'm up." The calm voice did not convey annoyance or anger, Gabumon having understood Matt's moods long before now. He had thought he would never see his human partner again four years ago, when the gate to the digital world closed. He was lucky, and got reunited with Matt (as the rest got to see their partners) when the new generation of Digidestined were chosen. With the gates now permanently open (or at least 'unlocked'), some evil digimon escaped through from time to time, and the Old and New Digidestined had to quell them. Matt was merely doing his job.

And there was possibly something else.

"We are wasting time here!" The orange digimon on TK's hat huffed.

"Patamon's right," TK agreed. "So hurry up, Matt! Don't leave Tai waiting!" The older blonde did not catch the tease in his brother's voice, only rushed out with Gabumon in tow. TK sighed and sped off after them. Matt _still_ didn't realize…

* * *

The brunette siblings watched the blonde ones approach. "What happened to the Hydramon?" Matt panted.

The older sibling was the one to reply. "It dove four or five minutes ago and we lost it. And I don't know about you, but there is no way I'm going to dive in after it to find it."

"So you're just going to stand here useless?" Matt asked, agitation edging into his voice. His mind whirred with the possibilities. If Hydramon moved upstream (or down) it'd be in a populated area at least 5 minutes away. "What if Hydramon travels along the pier?"

"Do you really think I'm _that_ stupid?" the other boy yelled back. "Geez, Matt! I already covered those areas! Jyou and Gomamon are with Izzy and Tentomon up the pier and Sora and Piyomon are with Mimi and Palmon are down! I wouldn't just stand here while people could be at risk! How could you even think that!?"

"I don't know," he growled, sarcasm dripping like acid from his words. "It couldn't be because I know how dense you can be and you joked around about losing Hydramon. You didn't even make a move to explain that the other places were currently covered!"

Two sets of eye's watched their brothers, then looked at each other. The small, blonde-haired boy sighed. "We had best go sit," TK said, taking the girl's hand in one of his pale ones. "This could take them a while, Kari; we'll get tired standing around." Kari nodded in agreement, letting Matt's brother lead her over to a bench. The older blonde must had have insulted Kari's brother for the brunette raised his voice a little higher. By this time there were few eyes not on the pair.

"Tai and Matt should just kiss and make up now," Kari sighed, sitting next to her friend. Her cat-like digimon, Gatomon, climbed up and stood next to the girl, her ears twitching as if following a sound, alerting the children. At the same time, Gabumon and Agumon grabbed onto their respective companions, preventing the two from coming to physical blows.

"Yeah, they really need to stop fighting like that," the blonde agreed. "It had been quite some time since their fights got this bad, yet recently they can't even look at each other without causing an argument." Kari's nudge told him to shut up, and looking over at her, he could tell she was training to hear something.

"How dare you blame me of letting Hydramon get away!" Matt snapped, trying to get his digimon off his lag.

"You are the one who took so long to get here!" Tai yelled back, letting Agumon prevent him from knocking his best friend to the ground. "Kari and I (yes, Tai is smart enough to use proper grammar, because I say so!) fought Hydramon until he ran (er, swam, Tai… Swam) away! I didn't see _you_ here!"

"You two were only here by chance since Kari wanted some ice cream by the dock, so don't give me that crap! I came as fast as I could once you called! I couldn't have—" A crashing noise, and a scream, cut him off. Spinning on his heels, Matt barely had time to yell "No!" when Hydramon dove at the bench his and Tai's little siblings were resting on.

Gatomon's ears had saved them, though, for the kids already knew about the approaching digimon and had managed to lunge out of the way, leaving Hydramon with nothing but a mouthful of wood and metal.

Matt, icy blue eyes glaring and dispute temporarily forgotten, shouted, "Gabumon!" Said digimon nodded at the command, running towards the larger opponent.

"Agumon!" Tai said at the same time as Matt's call, his own, dinosaur-like digimon following the other rookie digimon.

"Digivolve!" the two teens yelled in unison. Hydramon was facing them now, and had a good view of its demise. The two small forms rushing at it were suddenly aglow, their lighted bodies shifting and growing, twisting into their new forms. Greymon and Garurumon hit at the same time, reducing Hydramon to nothing but data fragments that would eventually find their way back to the digital world. That was not the subject on Matt's mind, though, as he rushed over to TK and Kari.

Matt wrapped his brother in a tight hug. "I'm glad you're okay," he smiled. "That was a close call, huh?"

"We heard him in the water," TK informed, stopping his brother's smile. "You two must not have because you were arguing so loudly."

Tai walked past Gabumon and Agumon (they had digivolved back) and stood with Kari, making sure she was okay. After a second of silence, the older brunette spoke up. "You're such a hypocrite, Matt," he spat, drawing an incredulous stare from the older boy. "You gripe at me for not thinking of the safety of others, yet get into such a fir that you can't even hear the enemy when it's right underneath you." His worry for his sister affected his words.

"I don't need to hear that from an arrogant bastard like you!" Matt yelled before he could think about what he was saying. He immediately regretted it. A pained look crossed Tai's face. The entire pier silenced. TK looked at him accusingly. "I…" he tried to explain, but his voice sounded foreign in the stillness. Besides, he couldn't think of what to say, anyway.

"C'mon Kari. Let's go get your ice cream," Tai said in a very small voice. He didn't look at Matt when he stood. And then he turned his back to him, as if the other male didn't exist. Kari looked back sadly at the two blondes.

A combination of sadness and undirected rage swelled in the fifteen-year-old. Letting go of TK and standing up, he took two steps towards Tai's departing form, then stopped and turned, leaving in the opposite direction. TK desperately shot worried glances between Kari and Matt, torn between the girl he loved (though at this point they are not yet together) and helping his brother. He had only taken one step in the latter's direction when he said, "Just go. Go be with Kari."

"But brother—" TK's voice showed his distress. And his desire to follow that order.

"I need to be alone for a bit," Matt cut him off. Absently waving over his shoulder, Matt did not even show a hint of stopping. He needed to get away anyway, cool down a bit before confronting his best friend again. He would have to apologize profusely to make up for this mistake. The thought made him bite his lover lip. _Why are we fighting so much?_ his mind replayed over and over again. Looking back at the digimon faithfully tailing him, he would have smiled had he not been so troubled. "Come here, Gabumon," he said, just a hint of grief slipping through his mask. "I need you to talk to me without judgment." The addressed party nodded and sprinted to catch up to his human friend.

* * *

Kari looked up at her brother when she saw the smaller blonde head towards them. Her brother's face was set with a fake smile, the one he used then he was actually sad but didn't want to worry other. Tears threatened to form in his deep brown eyes, causing his sister to gently squeeze his hand. "Right, what type of ice cream do you want?" Tai grinned. "Do you want some ice cream, too?" The second question was directed to the fair-skinned boy who had just caught up to them.

Obviously wounded by his brother's words and actins, sadness invaded TK's eyes. The brunette girl did not like the gloom growing around her and 'accidentally' kicked the boy in the shins, making him yelp and drawing a confused glance from Tai. "Cheer up, you two," she scolded. "Matt's just PMSing right now, as a girl I'd know this." Kari's smile widened as they all shared a well needed, hearty, real laugh that seemed to lift the two males' spirits a bit. "Just give him a bit of time and he'll come crawling back. You two can then kiss and make-out, I mean make up, as you always do." The two younger kids watched Tai's reactions to Kari's 'accidental' (she seems to do that a lot) slip and were pleased when his cheeks took on a red hue.

Laughter erupted to his side, causing Tai to turn and say, "That's not funny!" in his defense. "Come on, let's get off this subject and get some ice cream. I'm hungry."

Calming down until she was only quietly chuckling, Kari said, "You're always hungry, Tai." Grabbing Tai's hand in one of her and TK's in the other, the young girl took off down the pier. "I want strawberry!"

"Will you get me a chocolate swirl one, Tai?" TK asked, giving the older boy big puppy dog eyes.

"I offered before, did you expect me to say no now?" the teen asked, grinning like his normal, idiotic self.

"Can I have one too, Tai?" Patamon pleaded, drawing a "Yeah, me too!" from Agumon.

"I would like a sushi cone," Gatomon said in her monotonous dialect, drawing strange looks from the companions. "What? I am a cat," she offered as an explanation."

The ice cream shop the young girl dragged them into was not the best choice. It was Matt's favorite, and Tai immediately recalled all the times the two friends had spent an afternoon together here. _"Tai, how can you eat that!?" Matt would always say as I sat down with my chocolate sundae topped with hot fudge, chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch syrup, M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, chocolate, vanilla, and rainbow sprinkles, strawberries, cherries, candy bar bits, and whip cream. No matter how many times I got that, his reaction was always the same. _The football player sighed at the memory, and could not suppress a chuckle at Matt's stupefied expression when Tai _was_ able to finish the entire concoction. But he wouldn't have the other male to stare incredulously at him as he sat down this time.

The younger kids and digimon walked out of the shop, each carrying a rapidly vanishing cone of ice cream in their hand. Tai was smiling at them, yet, for some reason, was not holding a cone of his own. His appetite had suddenly vanished, for reasons he didn't understand. "Do you want me to take you home, TK?" Tai asked after listening in on their conversation for a few minutes.

The younger boy looked back at him, confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I'm not feeling well, so I'm heading home," Tai explained.

"TK can take me home later," Kari spoke up. "Go home and lay down for a bit." Concern was evident in her voice. Tai _had _been saying he didn't feel well that morning, but it appeared to clear up so they went out. "Patamon and Gatomon can protect us; you go home so you don't catch a cold."

Tai hugged his younger sister. "Thank you, Kari," he whispered in her ear before turning and heading home. Looking back over his shoulder, he called, "Try to be home by 8!"

The two twelve year olds waved at his back before heading farther down the docks. "Those two are so helpless…" Kari sighed.

* * *

Matt had made it halfway home before he broke down. No, not crying breakdown. More like an 'I have to figure this out before it drives me insane' breakdown. Back slumped against the wall, ass on the cold pavement, and blonde hair trying to fall in his eyes but held in place by the excessive amount of products used on it, the teen released a sigh as he began. "I don't understand why I keep being so rude to him," he told Gabumon dejectedly. "Lately when I see him I just can't help it." The blue-furred digimon placed a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "I might have seriously screwed up this time. I always apologize right after a fight. But, even that might not have helped. I have never said something like that to Tai before."

"It cannot hurt to try, Matt," his partner calmly stated. "Tai is not one to hold a grudge because some bad words were said. You two are best friends. You may fight, but you never give the other up. You wouldn't have been friends for this long if something like this could break you apart, right?" Gabumon smiled as the teenager looked up at him. The latter returned the former's grip on his shoulder, fingers sinking into the digimon's soft fur, and stayed like that for a good minute.

Matt nodded. "I guess you're right, Gabumon," he said. "I'm glad that you can be the voice of reason when I can't be it myself." Using the wall as a stabilizer, he got his feet under him and stood up. "I just wish the thought of facing Tai wouldn't make me so apprehensive. But I will sure have a lot of apologizing to do. Geez, why'd I get so upset over being called a hypocrite? He was only being honest. Sheesh, I didn't know Tai even knew what hypocrite meant…" Matt laughed quietly at that, it always was entertaining to make fun of how dense his friend was. The brunette would usually join in and laugh harder than Matt.

* * *

It took Tai a minute to realize the door was locked and he had to use the key to unlock it. He felt groggy and Matt's words filled his mind. _Is that really how Matt felt?_ his inner voice asked.

The teen lazed into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboards. Several items were removed from their respective compartments and placed on the counter, but when he turned back to them he noticed he hadn't been hungry in the first place. Leaving the cans of instant soup and bags of junk food, Tai started back towards the living room.

Agumon watched the strange behavior of his partner, a person he truly believed housed a world (or at least half of one) in his stomach if his eating habits indicated anything, in silence. Entire households in Africa could be fed for a week on what this boy had in one day. Now, though, he had skipped not only ice cream, but also dinner. "Tai, are you okay?" the little dinosaur digimon asked.

The addressed teen sighed and shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted, sitting down on the sofa, resting his head in his hands. "This whole thing… Is getting out of control…"

"Are you really that mad at Matt?" Agumon asked. "Yes, he did say some things he shouldn't have, but is that what has gotten you so worked up? It has happened before."

"You're right," he murmured. "It is partially the fights, though. Recently when I'm near Matt, I get this weird, awkward feeling, almost like butterflies in my stomach, and my mind seems to cloud over. And then we fight, and I lash out at him, but it just makes me feel sick afterwards."

"Have you ever told Matt about all this?" Agumon asked. He knew Tai hadn't, but his hopes were that maybe his Digidestined would actually follow through with that option if it was mentioned.

"Yeah, let's just give him one more thing to throw in my face," Tai replied, hurt, turning away from his orange digimon. "I think I'll stay here a while, you should head up before me." He avoided Agumon's eyes, but felt the small companion squeeze his hand comfortingly before slowly heading up the stairs.

No matter how he looked at it, one sentence kept appearing with sickening repetition: Why _did_ his words hurt so much? Fighting was a daily routine for the two friends, but never before had he felt this sting before, at least not this strong. It beat keenly in his chest, like the sound of a clock in a silent room, or the slight tap-tapping coming from the door. The door! (A/N: I was listening to my pocket watch when I wrote this part, so if the clock part didn't make sense, that is why it's in there.)

A quick glance at the clock showed 7:14—7:14!? Where did the last few hours go!?—and Tai scrambled off the couch, thinking he had locked the front door and Kari couldn't get in. Apparently it slipped his mind that he was the only one who ever forgot his key. As he turned the doorknob, his mind didn't register that it was already unlocked. As a matter of fact, as soon as he saw who was on the other side of the portal his mind didn't register anything.

The chill air nipped at his face. Matt wasn't sure exactly how long it had taken him to get there, but will all the detours and relapses and backtracks he realized he had to have gotten more exercise than he normally got in a week. And now he was facing a Tai who was either too pissed or too shocked to say anything. "May I come in?" the blonde prompted, feeling the same strange fluttering in his chest he normally got when he saw the other teen. "I need to talk to you, and I would rather it not be out here.

Tai was acting as if he had just seen a stampede of monkeys cross the street behind his friend and he just then realized the other male was actually there. "Oh, uh… Yeah," he managed to stutter out, gesturing Matt and Gabumon inside. The digimon's scan of the room prompted Tai to say, "Agumon is in my room."

"Thanks, Tai," Gabumon politely remarked, turning and walking up the stairs just to the right in the entryway. As his digimon left him to his task at hand, Matt felt that inevitable fight or flight response. He had almost taken off as he was waiting for the other to answer the door, but Gabumon had fortified his resolve.

Now that resolve was gone, and Matt found words were suddenly hard to formulate. He did manage to get out, "I came to apologize," but stumbled after that. Tai understood, though. The blonde boy never had been good at expressing himself. Just being there was enough.

"Would you like a popsicle?" The brunette asked. It was obvious Matt was uncomfortable, so the question was meant to calm him a bit, to show him that everything was alright between the two.

Matt sighed gratefully, knowing the other teen had already forgiven him, the knowledge making his heartbeat speed up slightly. "Yeah, that would be nice," he replied. Apologies were still necessary, but now they could joke about the whole matter once the formalities were done.

"What flavor? Cherry?" Tai asked, the fact that the stinging in his chest was replaced by the butterflies again not escaping his notice. One of his stupid grins was plastered on his joyous face as he grabbed Matt's wrist and went to turn and drag the other male into the kitchen.

His actions were purely impulsive. Tai had turned about half way when Matt grabbed his other wrist, the one not restraining his own hand. The tug was slight, but enough to turn the surprised brunette back to face him. And before the blonde recognized those actions, his next one was already in motion. Leaning forward, he gently planted his lips on Tai's.

* * *

Hehe. I love leaving cliffhangers, for two reasons:  
1) People will want to continue reading to figure out what happens next.  
2) It means I am obligated to continue writing.

So, next time there is a cliffhanger, thank me. It means I _will_ be writing more.

Reviews appreciated. Please remember this is my first fanfic PERIOD. Yeah, starting with a yaoi one, aren't I smart?


	3. Chapter 2: The Harmonica

Okay, first of all, I'd like to inform everyone that the title of this fic will be changed to **The Cave** with the next chapter. It fits the story better between the cave is a recurring theme, as I have already mentioned.

Next thing on the list to say. I am kind of mixing up the names a bit. I am using their English names for 'everyday use' and their japanese names for the person they love and when someone gets annoyed at them. An example is that in this chapter TK calls Matt 'Yamato Ishida' because he is annoyed by his brother's lack of response. The only exception to this is Jyou, and that is merely because the only difference with his name is the spelling and I like Jyou better than Joe.

**I do not own Digimon. :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Harmonica**

He felt it, the shear heat that burned through his body, radiating from the slight friction between his mouth and the other boy's. And, for a few seconds, neither seemed to move, one too busy being startled to try and think, and the other too busy trying to think to be startled. The former did know one thing, though: the contact sent a fire through his body, as well.

A flood of recognition washed over the blonde, who jerked away suddenly and held the other boy at arm's length. His breath came in heavy gasps, and had he looked he would have noticed the same reaction in Tai. "That was… um, well, part of… I mean… uh, another way to say sorry! Yeah, that's it! An American apology!" Matt stammered, desperately needing his friend to believe it. He hadn't figured out what it truly was himself.

For the moment it took their breath to return to normal neither said anything (except for Matt hasty explanation). Tai's teeth played with his lower lip as he debated asking Matt to apologize again. He was curious if he'd feel the same intoxicating sensation again. Still, as both just stood there, not looking at the other for fear their inner turmoil would become apparent, the silence deepened to suffocating. Not certain how many minutes had passed, and needing to break the silence, Matt nervously asked, "We were getting popsicles, right?" His breathing had returned to normal (as had Tai's), and the other boy had yet to hit him, so Matt didn't want to act abnormal. Tai's may be dense, but even he could tell when something was seriously wrong with his best friend. Looking at the brunette, for a second the musician thought he say disappointment on the cheery gogglehead's face before it was replaced by his normal, stupid grin.

"Yeah, lets go get them," Tai said, grabbing the blonde's wrist to drag him into the kitchen. Matt made certain to keep his urged under control this time (to Tai's disappointment), not certain how to explain a second unexplainable action. However, in his haste to sound normal, Matt had forgotten just how cold popsicles were (yeah, Tai fried his brain XD) and he soon felt the same chill from before the kiss, which had amazingly warmed up the constantly cold teenager.

Matt was glad to have Tai to laugh with again. He did not bring up the fight because he knew it would inevitably lead to the kiss which Matt just wanted to stop thinking about. Instead, they spoke of other incidents, such as a couple months before when they all went to the beach and Izzy came back a lobster. The thought suddenly stuck, and the blonde stood; sunlight no longer streamed in through the windows (A/N okay, this was one of my train of thought type things… It doesn't have to make sense…). "It's really dark out," he said. "We should be out looking for TK and Kari."

"They'll be fine," Tai said, looking at the clock and laying back into the comfortable cushions of the couch.

"How can you say that!?" Matt asked, going into over-protective-brother mode. "How many rampaging digimon have we fought in the last month alone?"

"Yes, _we_," Tai said, sending Matt his own words. "We includes TK and Kari. They aren't children anymore; they can take care of themselves."

"We are their older brothers!" Matt retorted. "We are supposed to protect them!"

"We can't always be there, Matt," the brunette replied, starting to get annoyed by the other teen's stubbornness. "At a point we have to let them try things on their own. Remember, they have saved the world twice now. Also remember that we were that age when we first went to the digital world." Calming down, he added, "Besides, it's only 7:36. I told them to be back by 8."

Matt had been about to rebut Tai's argument about their age when he made the mistake of looking at the other male. Memories of the kiss flooded back into his mind, cutting off any sound he would have emitted. Besides, he could not argue against the fact that Tai was right. If he continued like this then the fight would quickly escalate and get out of hand like the one that led to him kissing Tai.

_Get that out of your head!_ The blonde yelled at himself. "TK might bring Kari back to my back to my place if it's closer. He is staying there for a few weeks while his mom is out-of-town, after all. If they do then they won't have anything but take-out to eat," Matt said. "I should head home."

"Alright," Tai smiled. "Be sure not to fix something too unhealthy, they already had ice cream after all." (How they could eat ice cream in October Matt could not figure out. A popsicle in a warm house had left him frozen.)

Matt mock-scowled back at his best friend. "I only cook proper meals," he said, drawing a laugh from both boys. Yes, Matt could cook, but you kind of have to have non-spoiled food to cook in order to… well… cook. Walking to the door, Matt yelled up the stairs, "Come on, Gabumon! Time to go home!"

Gabumon poked his head around the corner at the top of the stairs. "I think I'll stay here for tonight, Matt," he said, yawning. "I'm tired and want to stay with Agumon."

Matt's spirits dropped a bit. That meant he was going home alone. It wasn't all bad, though. Being alone meant he could think out loud.

* * *

Matt lived only a 10 minute walk away, but the blonde took a lot more time than that. His mind raced over the events at Tai's place, and his emotions during them, slowing his physical body. At times he stood still. His teeth nervously played with his lower lip as his mind worked in overdrive. Each time he reviewed it, Matt wished he could come up with another deduction.

"It can't be…" he said to the empty street, eyes rigidly focused on his open hand. "It's not that… I love him, right?" He purposely recalled the kiss and replayed it in his thoughts, sending a flood of heat to his cheeks that parched his mouth and throat in the process. After the few seconds of shock passed, the musician slapped a hand over his mouth. "It is…" he muttered into the barrier, shaken. "I'm in love with Tai." The answer brought only more questions, and Matt slumped defensively against the wall. He was in love with his best friend, his best _male_ friend; how was he supposed to face him? Everything had changed now that he knew. Could he really act normal when he was practically choking on butterflies? How would Tai react if he knew? Would he distance himself? If Tai did, could he handle it?

The blond was still caught in the turbulence when TK came upon him five minutes later. "Yamato Ishida!**(1)**" the boy yelled, pulling Matt from his disorganized emotions. "Finally! I only have to call you 10 times!" he huffed.

"Oh, sorry, TK," Matt said, successfully putting on a mask. "I was just thinking about someone-thing! I mean something!" Okay, maybe not so successfully. His slip drew a giggle from his younger brother. "Oh, shut up you brat!" he said with mock-annoyance, grabbing the younger male and promptly giving him a noggie. "What would you like for dinner?"

"Anything's fine to me," TK enthusiastically cheered.

"Alright, steak and potatoes it is," Matt grinned, glad for the distraction. At least the thought of food could keep his mind off Tai and the fact that he just learned he was gay. His phone chose that moment to go off.

"Your phone is ringing," TK said.

"I can see that," Matt stated, fishing for his phone in his pocket. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious." He felt cold metal under his fingertips and could not prevent a small smile from touching his lips. It was his harmonica, the same one he had when they had originally gone to the digital world. The one Tai had complimented him on. A shrill noise broke him from his trance. Right, phone. Not Tai, phone. Retrieving the device and flipping it open, Matt opened the picture message he received… and felt his blood pressure shoot up. So much for not thinking about a certain male. The teen was laying on a couch, shirtless, a piece of messy, brown hair falling over his closed eyes, Someone had placed a blanket over half his legs.

"Tai must have been tired," TK said, causing Matt to jump. The latter had momentarily forgotten they were supposed to be heading home.

"Yeah," he agreed, glad for the shrouding cover of darkness for his face had to be several shades of red. _Damnit Matt, get a reign on your emotions before school the day after tomorrow! You can't become a beet every time you see him!_ The older blonde scolded himself. "Now lets get home, I'm starving." Before getting a reply, Matt took off. He heard a "hey" somewhere behind him, but knew the more athletic boy wouldn't have a problem keeping up.

If they had been the same age Matt would not have won. The 15-year-old's longer legs were really the only thing that kept him ahead of his little brother. "I really should go running around the Digiworld more," he panted, leaning on the doorframe for support. "Just don't have time between school and my band."

TK nodded in sympathy as he removed his shoes. It was true, Matt was incredibly busy. He also had to take care of the house and cook. Speaking of which, Matt was wearing the pink apron again. TK could not remember where he got it from, but it just fortified the fact that Matt was gay. Yes, TK knew, just as he knew his brother loved Tai. Hell, he and Kari knew their brothers secretly loved each other before the two boys did. TK wasn't sure if Tai even knew that yet. Matt had obviously figured it out, though. The younger blonde would have teased his brother had he not been cooking dinner. As it was, Matt's mind wandered several times—_To a specific, brown-haired boy, maybe?_ TK wondered—and he had to keep Matt from burning dinner.

Once they sat down to eat, Matt was no longer safe from his brother's ridicule. "You must have really been distracted by that someone—er, something—you were thinking about earlier," TK mischievously grinned. The addressed male felt a small blush heat up his face. "After all, you nearly burnt dinner several times."

"Sorry I was a little distracted," Matt sarcastically replied. He did not need TK increasing his embarrassment. He was able to calm his thoughts of his best friend easier now that the initial shock had passed, but that did not stop the brunette from being a distraction. Nor did it keep him from the pale teen's thoughts, which pulled an exhausted sigh from his throat. Too much had happened that day for Matt to not be tired.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he loves you, too," the boy said said, reaching over and patting Matt on the shoulder. He was rewarded with a blush and an extremely stunned look.

"Wh-what did you just say!?" the musician asked, hoping he heard the 12-year-old wrong, and receiving a completely clueless look in reply.

"What?" the younger sibling asked. "I said I'm sure she loves you, too." His voice sounded genuine. If only Matt knew how good TK was at acting.

"O-oh," he blushed. _Calm down, Matt. There is no way TK knows_, the teen mentally assured himself. _Although, if you keep this up he might figure it out._

"Right, Matt?" TK asked, pulling the other male from his thoughts.

"Huh?" he asked. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."  
TK seemed to puff up in annoyance, making his sibling chuckle. "I _said_ I bet Tai and Kari would have loved to have some of this. The only home cooking they get is worse than yours when you decide to fall asleep halfway through preparing it and it all burns. It's no wonder Tai can eat the school food. If he can survive his mother's cooking then he can probably eat anything."

The two boys laughed at this. While most people wouldn't even touch the food offered at their school, Tai made a habit of asking for seconds. "I could have invited them over had you two not been so late," Matt told his brother.

"We figured it was best to give you two some time," TK responded. "You know, to kiss and make up. Those were some pretty mean things you said." TK was watching the teenager out of the corner of his eye, and was honestly surprised to see Matt blush so deeply at the word kiss. _He kissed Tai!_ His mind excitedly yelled. _Yes! We are making progress!_

"Finish your dinner," Matt managed to say past the lump in his throat. _Why does my body have to freeze up like this?_ the musician asked himself.

"Matt, breathe," the younger blonde said, giggling slightly. Matt had a tendency to freeze up when embarrassed. "Thinking of your love again?"

"Takeru!" Matt yelled, anger leaking through the annoyance. His expression told TK he was correct, but his tone said it was time to knock it off. Besides, the young boy knew that if he pushed too hard he would only set them back. Why else would he and Kari not just come out and tell their brothers what they knew? To tell them straight out would only make the two deny it, so instead they dropped hints and joked about it to set the idea in the two teens' minds. They had to realize it themselves.

"Okay, okay, Matt," TK nervously said, defensively bringing his hands up to calm Matt down a bit. "I was only messing around."

Grumbling, Matt returned to his food. The conversation had brought up thoughts he had finally suppressed. Concentrating on food helped, and it was becoming increasingly easier to push down his desires. _At this rate I'll be able to survive at school on Monday,_ he thought, smiling around the fork in his mouth.

TK had to take a shower immediately after eating, and Matt took his after doing the dishes. Matt's annoyance had fizzled out by this time, and the two sat on the couch and watched TV until the younger boy fell asleep, his head resting on Matt's shoulder. He was sound asleep when Matt carried him into his room and tucked him in. Quietly leaving, the teen pulled out his cell phone and scanned through the messages. He wanted to save that picture of Tai, and hadn't been able to before with TK constantly looking over his shoulder. That boy was too inquisitive for his own good.

Matt juggled his phone for a few second before it inevitably fell to the floor, startled when it suddenly went off in his hands. Taichi Kamiya flashed on the screen as he picked it up, and the flustered boy answered with a hurried, "Hello?"

"Hi, Matt," came the sleepy voice from the receiver. Matt's visage softened considerably, the blonde softly walking over to the couch and taking a seat.

"Tai, are you okay?" he asked, not allowing his concern to leak into his tone. It could have simply been the sleepiness, but he thought he heard an underlying problem in his friend's voice.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Just tired," the brunette replied. "Just woke up from a nap."

Was there something there? He sounded slightly hoarse. "Tai, you don't sound too good," Matt stated, worry slipping in around the edges of his voice. "And it's not just sleepiness," he added, cutting off the other's report that is all it was.

"It's nothing, really," Tai insisted. "Gabumon and Agumon stole my room so I went down to the couch. Must have fallen asleep. Too much thinking, not enough brain power to go through it all." Matt could almost feel Tai grinning at his own joke.

"You can think? I'm thoroughly surprised!" Matt replied in a joking manner. He wanted to ask what his best friend was thinking so intently about, but didn't. He wasn't sure he was ready to hear what could preoccupy his ADHD friend's mind.

"I know, it's a miracle," he laughed quietly.

He could not deny it this time. Tai sounded hoarse, as if he was sick or crying, and that only made Matt nervous. "I think the world is going to end," he choked out, attempting to sound normal. "Really Tai, are you okay?"

A cough echoed in Matt's ear, at least he had his answer now. "Ugh… I think I may be sick…" the person on the phone admitted.

Sighing, the pale teen said the first thing that came to his mind. "If you're not feeling well I'll come over and make you some soup."

"You don't have to, Matt," came the slightly-weaker-than-normal reply. "I've taken care of Kari when she was sick so many times it is almost like a drill now."

Matt mentally groaned. _Tai doesn't want me around…_ he thought for a few seconds before shaking it away. _No, that's jus how Tai is._ "Look, you don't let a sick person take care of themselves," the blonde stated matter-of-factly. "Someone takes care of them while they rest."

"But I can take care of myself. I'm okay."

Blonde brows furrowed. How many times had Tai said that? There was the time he was climbing a tree and had trouble getting back down; he got a concussion. There was another time the idiot boy jumped into a pond everyone was telling him not to; they had to pull about a dozen leeches off of him. Yeah, he was _not_ leaving Tai to his own devices. "If you are sick then working like that will only make you worse," he insisted.

Matt couldn't see it (obviously), but Tai grinned. "Well, if you're going to be so stubborn about it, you should come over and take care of me."

If Matt wasn't sitting he would be now, out of exasperation. "That's what I have been saying for the last several minutes," the teenager sighed. "Give me 10 minutes, I have to leave TK a note incase he wakes. Just lay down and rest."

"Alright!" Tai said, hanging up and laying back down. "Matt's coming over!" he sang, clutching the phone to his chest.

The other boy sighed and placed the phone back on the docking station. Tai had way too much energy to keep up with, even when he was sick. Writing the note reminded him of one fact his mind had skipped over in its concern. Kari would be in bed by now and the two teens' digimon were in Tai's room upstairs. He would practically be alone with Tai. It took him several seconds to calm his suddenly erratic breathing. "Calm down," he breathed. "You are going for him, not for you. Keep your mind clean." Finishing the note, he rushed out the door.

Matt pulled Tai's key out of his pocket. The idiot had left it at Matt's apartment several weeks ago. By the time Matt found it he had already had a new key made. Since the two were so close, Tai told him to keep it.

He took his shoes off in the entryway, and was greeted by chocolate eyes watching him over the back of the couch. "Do you live here now?" his crush asked, laughing lightly.

"If I had knocked you would have answered, and I told you to lie down and rest which you obviously aren't doing if you're watching me over the back of the couch," Matt corrected as he headed towards the kitchen. Stopping for a second in front of the dark-haired teen, he added, "Besides, you're the one who gave me a key," before continuing into the linoleum room, twirling the keychain on his pointer finger before stowing the item away in his pocket.

Tai pouted. "Fine," he said in his best whiney, hurt voice that sent shivers up the other male's spine (who cursed his nerves; he had done just fine when teasing him about the key!). "So… I'm sick. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Matt replied, rummaging through cupboards and moving cans of soup containers of instant macaroni. The blonde looked annoyed when he peered around the corner at the brunette who still wasn't lying down. Matt would have made the other male lie down, if it had been a few days ago. Now, though, he wasn't sure if he could control himself if he was in such a position. Instead he just concentrated on soup. "Do you guys have anything other than microwave food?" he asked. The fridge and freezer had contained frozen meals and milk, along with a few leftovers Matt didn't even want to know what they were and some fruit.

Tai blushed and looked away. "Uhhh… I'm going to choose not to answer that question…" he laughed embarrassedly, a laugh that gradually turned into coughs and a groan.

Matt winced at Tai's pained expression. "There is a grocery store not a few minutes away. I'll just run over and get a few things. Hand made soup is better than canned soup."

The football player nodded in agreement. "Alright," he said, sniffling. His cold had sure gotten bad fast.

"It shouldn't take me but 5 minutes, so just rest while I'm gone," Matt stated, walking out the door. (A/N: I'm surprised Tai hasn't said "yes, mother" with how often Matt is telling him to rest. Taichi: You have to write it for me to say it…) The store was practically empty at this hour of night, and the teenager was glad it was even open still. Rushing back with his arms full, he barely told the other boy "hi" as he sped into the kitchen. A pleasant aroma soon filled the living room, making Tai's mouth water.

"You're so nice," Tai said melodically, snuggling into the couch.

"You're just too stupid to take care of yourself," Matt retorted, making the mistake of looking towards the living room while pouring the soup and spilt the scalding liquid on his hand. Biting his lip to keep from yelping, the musician quickly put his hand under cold, running water. Placing the bowl on a lap tray, Matt brought his best friend his soup. His hand stung, but he hoped the lighting would keep Tai from noticing the new red tint on his skin. "It's hot, so blow on it before you take a bite."

"Okay, thanks, Matt," Tai said, sitting up and smiling at the pale teenager.

_Tai's smile is cute,_ Matt thought before his rational brain could stop him. He was starting to realize that he couldn't stop the thoughts from coming. "It-it's nothing," he stammered, still needing to work a bit on hiding his reactions to afore mentioned thoughts. "I'd have done it for any of the others except that none of them are dense enough to not take it easy when they are sick."

"I'll have you know I haven't moved from this couch since I fell asleep," Tai said confidently.

"If I hadn't told you not to you would have," Matt countered, absently rubbing the burn on his hand.

"Only because I'd have to," Tai replied indignantly, placing the spoon he had brought halfway to his mouth back in the bowl.

"If I hadn't noticed you wouldn't have asked for help," the blonde said in return.

The accused boy was saved from coming up with a response when Matt winced, accidentally touching a sensitive spot on his hand. "What did you do?" he asked.

"Nothing, really," Matt said, too quickly while hastily hiding the burn with his other hand.

"You burned yourself, didn't you?" the tanned male asked.

The look on his friend's face left no doubt. "You distracted me by talking to me while I was pouring it," he mumbled.

Tai shook his bushy head and reached forward, grabbing the burned hand gently. He felt Matt tense up, but didn't think anything of it as he looked over the minor burn. "If you had let me take care of myself you wouldn't have gotten hurt," he said.

"I can handle a small burn!" Matt almost yelled, flustered. He would have had he not remembered that some people were asleep. Frankly, he was surprised he could think with the electricity pulsing up his arm from their joined hands. "Now eat your soup and go to sleep. I left TK alone at home."

The brunette looked up from Matt's hand into his crystalline eyes. "Go. I'll eat and rest. Don't worry about me," Tai said.

Matt removed his hand from the other boy's, trying to make it seem casual, normal, and not a desperate attempt to prevent the heart attack he was certain he'd soon have. As Tai turned back to his meal, the blonde said, "If I leave you will likely drown in your soup and I'll be charged with murder." In truth, he wanted to leave. He was sure his heart was beating loud enough to wake Kari, but he also didn't want to leave Tai while he was sick.

"I'll be okay, Matt, you're overreacting," the sick teen said, taking a bite of soup. The liquid sent waves of heat through him, pushing back the cold.

Matt looked away from him. _Does he really want me to leave?_ he wondered. He could not determine, and decided that it would be better to simply leave. "If you insist, I'll go home…" he mumbled, standing up.

"I just know you should get back to TK. There isn't anything you can do here anyway, so it's best if you head home and take your own advice and get some rest," Tai replied, his normal sincerity gone from his tone. He didn't know why he had said those words so neutrally, but he guessed it was from the cold.

_Yeah, he wants me gone,_ Matt thought. "I'll be going then," he said, walking to the door. "Bye, Tai…" he trailed off, walking out the door and closing it. He didn't hear Tai sadly reply "bye."

(**A/N** Matt's pessimism is explained later. I'd tell you now, but it would give a good part away. I'm sorry.)

Left to his thoughts, the male wandered. He wasn't certain which direction he was going or even where he was until he came to a familiar sight. The jungle gym was rusted now, one slide had collapsed, but the swings were still up. How many times had he and his bushy-haired friend come here? He wasn't sure. It was no longer in use now.

Matt nostalgically walked over to the swing, feeling the cold plastic under his fingers before sitting down on the swing Tai always took. He liked it because it squeaked more. Ever the annoying brat. Things had been so simple back then. They fought, true, but as friendly rivals. He hadn't loved Tai back then. Or, maybe he had, and just didn't realize it. It didn't matter. _Why can't things go back to that? Why can't I just forget these feelings? But even if I forgot, could Tai? Can he forget what I did to him? Did that kiss affect him more negatively than I thought?_ He hoped not. They were both guys, so he knew a relationship between them wouldn't work. So why did he feel like crying? Pulling out his harmonica, he went to play something but his mind could not comprehend the needed notes, so instead he rested his hands in his lap and hung his head.

A sneeze almost unseated him. "What?" he asked before a light clicked on in his head. "Oh, that's right. I kissed him, so I probably caught whatever he has." A second sneeze succeeded.

* * *

Finished with his soup, the brunette curled up into the couch. He closed his eyes in a vain attempt to fall asleep, but his mind could not get past one thought. "Matt seemed upset when he left," he told the empty room, sitting back up. "I'll go find him," he determinedly announced, standing. He wobbled, his vision spinning, and fell back to the soft cushions. His second attempt had no more success.

Gabumon and Agumon looked at each other. That had watched the whole scene, from when Matt first got there until the musician finally left. They could not mask their disappointment that nothing had happened between their Digidestined except what looked like (by Matt's expression as he left) another fight. "If what I say earlier today is right, Matt should be feeling bad right about now," the blue-furred digimon whispered. "I had best go find him and bring him back to his place. Try and get Tai to relax."

Agumon nodded, "Okay." Then, the two parted in opposite directions.

Matt was in a coughing fit when Gabumon finally found him. "Matt, you don't look too goof," he said, placing an arm one of the human boy's. "Come, lets get you home."

"I thought you were… asleep at Tai's," Matt responded as his digimon helped him up.

"I woke up when you left and decided to follow you to make sure you'd be okay," Gabumon explained. "Colds can be quite contagious."

Matt had dropped his harmonica and, in the coughing fit, forgot to pick it up. So, as Gabumon stabilized his human partner and the two lumbered out of the decommissioned park, the harmonica lay in the dirt.

Unnoticed…

* * *

I know that in japanese tehy say the last name first, but I am putting the first name first in this. So Yamato Ishida is Yamato Ishida and Taichi Kamiya is Taichi Kamiya.

Okay, this chapter took longer than I expected it to because of the length, so I hope you guys will forgive me for that. I am also starting to write an AU Daiken fic that I hope to get the prologue up soon. If you're interested in that and like my writing watch for it. It will be called **The Assassin and the Clown**.

Next chapter will be shorter, than this one at least. I am hoping to write less for the chapters so I can get them up sooner, but I can't say for sure if I will...


	4. Chapter 3: The Confession

Okay! As promised! Title changed to **The Cave**. Now, I'm sorry it took so long to updat this, but I am an extremely lazy person and waste hours away that I could be working on this instead.

Another thing that will be important later is birthdays. So here are the important ones:  
Yamato--December 12  
Taichi--February 19  
Daisuke--March 17  
Ken--April 28  
Takeru--February 21  
Hikari--January 14

Okay, Takeru's and Hikari's aren't really that important, but I felt obligated to give them birthdates. I don't know their actual birthdays, so I made some up that fit with how I want the story to go, so if you _do_ know their real birthdays, don't tell me because I don't care.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: The Confession**

Brown eyes lazily fluttered open. Since when had his ceiling been so white? It seemed strangely out of place, but he didn't feel like recalling why and instead let the shades close again over his pupils. That should have worked, yet the athlete still felt the sleepiness oozing out of him. With the grogginess leaving his mind, Tai noticed something else strange; what was he lying against? Yes, his room was a mess, but his bed at least was normally clean. Besides, he didn't have anything as big as he was _to_ lie against. And, his wall wasn't that comfortable.

Opening one eye, the teen once again stared at the only semi-familiar ceiling. Hadn't his ceiling been smaller than that? And where was the wall behind his bed? Grumbling as he continued to slip farther from his comfortable slumber, he turned his head to see what he was lying against. His answer only brought another question. _Why_ was he on the couch?

The orange creature to his left stirred, drawing the brunette's attention. Huge, green orbs blinked at Tai a couple times, and had the male not been used to such occurrences it would have startled him. "You're awake," the dinosaur-like creature spoke. "How're you feeling?" At some point during the night, Agumon had fallen asleep in his watch, and now looked ridiculously hilarious. His feet were stretched as far behind him as possible with his arms drooping to the floor, his chin the only thing keeping him on the couch.

Tai couldn't help but laugh at his digimon's dopey expression. Reaching an arm around Agumon's head in a semi-hug, he chuckled, "Good morning to you, too."

The orange digimon seemed to blush. "Good morning, Tai," he sheepishly replied, pulling his feet under him and standing up. "So… How are you feeling?"

It didn't occur to him until he sat up and realized the wooziness had vanished (by now he remembers what happened the previous night) that laughing didn't make him cough insistently anymore. In fact, he hadn't coughed at all. "I'm feeling fine," Tai smiled. "No, better than fine. I'm feeling excellent!" His enthusiasm unknowingly woke his little sister. "I think Matt makes magic soup…" His eyes dreamed over unconsciously, a satisfied smile gracing his lips.

Agumon snickered, seeing the dazed expression on his partner's face. He and the other Digidestined's digimon had spent enough time around humans (and had asked Gennai if they didn't understand something) to understand what that look meant and where it could lead. And the implications. (None of them could figure out what the problem with two males (or females) loving each other was though.) "I think someone's in loooooove," the digimon sang teasingly, knowing full well the human was in love and had been for some time. He saw the younger brunette out of the corner of his overly large eye, nodding approvingly. If only the two best friends knew what their digimon, siblings, and siblings' digimon were trying to do.

(**A/N** Have you ever written backwards in a spiral, starting from the back instead of the front? Well, that's what I'm doing with this, and this spot is the one of the one I had to erase and rewrite because I put it on the wrong page. *sweatdrops* Has nothing to do with the story, just thought I'd add that in.)

The digimon did not expect Tai's answer. "Love…?" he absently mumbled, the word pulling him from his (apparently very good, judging from the metaphorical drool running down his chin) daydream. "Love, huh?" he pondered intently. That was also unexpected. Agumon had not figured Tai would take him seriously. Laughing the comment off, Tai should have affectionately hit his head and called him crazy. So why was he delving so deeply into it now?

After several strained minutes, Agumon wondering if Tai actually had figured it out, they (meaning Agumon, Kari, and Gatomon) got their answer. "Agumon, I think I'm in love with Matt," the soccer player**(1)** stated. Voice even, the only sign the revelation affected him was the not-so-subtle flush in his tan cheeks. The digimon couldn't find words to reply with, bringing the strain back into the air as Tai began to fidget. _Okay, I didn't think of the fact that he might not like that,_ Tai's mind admitted.

"Finally!" came the exasperated voice. Jumping out of his skin, Tai looked back over his shoulder, recognizing Gatomon's voice. He stiffened when he saw Kari standing next to her digimon. She was smiling at him.

Skipping over to (and around, for she was behind it) the couch, she threw her arms around her big brother. "Glad you finally noticed," she said, not asked. The boy blushed even deeper at that. "What is it?" Kari inquired, noticing the male's discomfort. "Embarrassed you're in love with another guy?" She tweaked his nose.

"No," he said, not hurried. Looking from Kari, to their digimon, and back to his baby sister, he hung his head. "I'm embarrassed I didn't notice it. My 12-year-old sister knew before I did. Hey! You shouldn't even be thinking of thing like that."

The girl in his arms giggled. "I'm not too young to know what love is," she said. "Nor too young to know it can be between two guys," she explained, Tai ruffling her hair. "Speaking of your love, I wonder how he is now. How'd it go last night?"

"We patched thing up," Tai smiled, his eyes again getting that lightly dreamy haze. "He came over to apologize, and we ended up kissing and…" His voice trailed off, eyes growing big. "And he's probably sick!" the teenager gasped, standing and nearly knocking Kari to the floor. Giving her a hasty "sorry," the boy bolted upstairs to change into clean clothes. Tai was still trying to put an arm into his sleeve when he rushed back downstairs, skipping the last three steps. Still struggling with the annoying cloth, he attempted to place shoes on his feet.

"Tai, those are my sneakers," Kari sighed, casually walking to the male. Bunching the fabric in her hands, she guided it to his arm, kicking her shoes away and nudging his to his feet. Freed from the offending material, the older brunette was able to use his hands to get the brown (they had at one point been white…) shoes on his feet.

Blushing, Tai said, "Thanks, Kari," then yanked the door open and sprinted out. The girl shook her head as the male vanished from sight.

"I'm gonna get dressed and go over, too," she said, then closed the door.

* * *

(**A/N** This is several minutes before Tai left.)

Shivering, the blonde pulled his blankets tighter around his body. TK stared at the cocoon that contained his brother in obvious worry, removing the thermometer from its case. It was just a cold, so he shouldn't worry, but that didn't stop him from feeling anxious.

Sighing, the younger Digidestined sat on the bed next to the heap of blankets and flesh. For a few seconds, he just sat there. "Matt?" he asked in a small voice, receiving no reply from the ailing teen. "Matt, I need to take your temperature." A measly groan issued from the bundle of heavy cloth, but the teenager made no move to stop the boy from unraveling some of it to reveal his head. Placing the thermometer under the musician's tongue, TK placed a hand on his pale forehead. "Feeling any better this morning?" The question was used to fill the time. Normally, the silence would not have affected the boy; wasn't it strange how things changed when someone was sick? Matt shook his head as the device in his mouth beeped. Removing it, TK frowned. "38.5 (101.3)," he mumbled, placing the thermometer on Matt's bedside table.

"You need to rest. No more going out so late at night," TK 'scolded' his older brother, putting a half-false smile on and trying to lighten the mood.

"Tai wasn't feeling well and we both know he'd only make himself sicker if he tried to do anything to remedy it," Matt defended. The smaller blonde didn't know if he should laugh or point out to Matt that that was exactly what he had done. He was spared a response when the other male suddenly sat upright.

"Matt?" TK questioned, gently placing a hand on the addressed's shoulder.

Dizziness threatening to force him back to the mattress, he gritted his teeth and held his balance until it passed. Then, there was only a few breaths between the bed and the floor. "Matt, you should be resting! What are you doing?" the 12-year-old asked, frantic.

Matt, using his bedside table to struggle to his feet, just shook his head. He had only landed on the floor because he tried to stand without a stabilizer. TK tried to navigate his brother back to the bed, but once he pushed through the haze in his mind he was stronger than the other boy. Picking up his pants from the previous (TK had helped him change into pajamas), the pale singer rummaged through the pockets mercilessly, expression growing grim.

Snarling in frustration, he threw the article of clothing back to the floor. "Shit… I lost my harmonica!" he choked, anguish in his words.

* * *

There would have been trouble, if the door had been locked. As it was, it wasn't, so Tai was able to burst in just fine. Had the door not opened, though, he would not have been able to reverse his momentum and would have run into it.

"Matt! If I find you anywhere except your bed I'm kicking your ass!" the bushy-haired teen yelled as a small blonde rushed in at the commotion. For a second Tai felt really silly, thinking, _I'm not even sure if Matt _is_ sick…,_ then he saw the boy's face. "TK, what's wrong?"

The pre-teen threw himself at Tai so forcefully he almost knocked the soccer player over. "Matt's sick," he bawled, tears running in rivulets down his face. "He has a fever and he left."

"What?" Tai gasped, all air leaving his lungs.

"I tried to stop him, and it seemed like it worked. He laid back down," TK explained. "But once I left the room he got back up. By the time I realized this he was already out the door. Gabumon went after him, but…"

Tai reassuringly patted TK's head. "Do you know where he went?"

The blonde head nodded. "He kept saying something about the park."

Tai hadn't taken more than two steps into the Ishida residence and he was already back out the door. There were several parks Matt could have been referring to, but Tai instinctively knew which one his best friend would be at.

Running up to one of the broken down structures (_Had that been a see-saw?_), he paused for a second to catch his breath. "Matt! Matt, where are you?!" he called, eyes scanning the area. He saw the other male leaning against the slide, eyes mapping the ground. Apparently he hadn't heard him, so Tai made his way over.

Stopping a meter from Matt, he finally realized what he was doing; he was looking for something. _His vision is blurred,_ Tai observed. _He keeps staring at one spot, as if he can't see well._ A cough racked the blonde teenager's body, causing his breath to become more ragged than before. The brunette felt a sting at his heart, seeing the one he loved in such a condition.

Taking the last few steps, Tai placed a tanned hand on his friend's shoulder. "Matt, what are you doing here?" he asked lovingly, despair choking his words when he added, "You're sicker than a dog." (**A/N** Speaking of which, where did that saying come from?)

The musician finally became aware of the other male's presence and glanced over his shoulder into chocolate pools. "I can't find it…" he wheezed through labored breaths. "I… Sometime last night I dropped it… But I can't find it…"

"What are you looking for?" he asked, having not asked TK before he left. _He tells me to rest then he does _this!_ He's still in his pajamas even! If I knew he wouldn't get pissed at me I'd call him a hypocrite again!_

"I have to find… my harmonica…" he said, looking back to the ground. Once upon a time the instrument had merely been a way to pass the time when he was incredible bored or lonely. Tai had changed that. The small piece of metal and wood had become a passion, a treasure. As had the boy who made it such. Strange how everything Tai touched seemed to change. For the better.

Following his crush's gaze to the ground, he finally found Matt's digimon. Gabumon's attachment to the blonde's leg acted as a stabilizer. Still, he didn't see the harmonica. "Where do you last remember having it?" Tai asked, knowing that suggesting simply going home would result in a struggle Matt didn't need.

Sapphire orbs again met brown ones, for a few seconds looking bewildered, as if he truly didn't know. Then, slowly, he pointed over to the swing set, and more specifically (though he didn't realize it) to Tai's swing, some ten meters away. The brunette followed Matt's finger before looking back at the blonde, confused. "I might… have dropped it as I walked back… though…" he said before Tai could ask why he was so far away. Truth was, he was feeling dizzy and having trouble standing, even with support.

Nodding, knowing Matt needed to get out of this weather, Tai walked over, watching carefully where he stepped. A quick scan turned up nothing, causing him to have to look more vigilantly. There, half buried in the brown dust, was a glint of something metallic. Sure enough, it was the item in question. "Found it!" Tai yelled, holding it above his head as he ran back. A small, sweet, loving smile, almost one you'd give to your lover, touched Matt's features. Tai could not stop himself from smiling back with equal intensity, his heart skipping a beat before fluttering faster to make up for it.

Then his knees gave out and Matt's pale body headed for Earth. In that split second, Tai's eyes went wide and he dove, barely managing to save the other male from the harsh crash into the ground. "Matt!? You okay!?" he asked anxiously. Matt, exhausted from the cold and events from that day, fainted, his head falling onto Tai's chest. The brunette forced himself into a sitting position, one hand always holding the other boy.

"I think you will have to carry him," Gabumon stated, offering with his gestures to hold his partner so Tai could reposition himself.

"Yeah," he agreed, reluctantly handing his crush over so he could turn around and have the digimon place the teen on his back. "There we go…"

Sighing, Gabumon walked silently at Tai's side.

* * *

**A/N** Okay, I know they got sick and (Tai, at least so far) well again really fast, but I'd like to think of it as when you get hit by a baseball. When it hits it is fast and hard, but gone just an instant later, unless you get a concussion… But that is a completely different subject and they don't get a concussion, so yeah.

* * *

Tai was on the last step before Matt's apartment when the younger blonde opened the door. The boy wasn't sure if he should feel better or worse when he saw his brother unconscious. Swallowing hard, he ran back inside to the musician's room, pulling the covers on his bed back (he straightened the sheets while Tai was searching for Matt) before running into the bathroom for a wash bin and cloth.

"He'll be fine," the athlete said from the hallway. "I got over the same thing in a day, so he'll be fine in a couple." TK nodded, worry still in his swirling blue eyes. For not the first time, he was glad the Digidestined leader was his brother's best friend. The way he tucked the covers around the pale teenager showed his obvious affection for the other male. Tan fingers ran through light hair, accentuating the point.

TK cleared his throat noisily, Tai's hand jumping back to his side with a sheepish grin directed to the younger boy. "What happened?" he asked, bringing the bin over and placing a rung out rag on Matt's forehead.

Sheepishness was replaced by silent sadness. "He lost his harmonica in the old park," the caring voice answered. "He couldn't find it and made the cold worse. He's more fragile he admits, or shows."

"He never really cared about that harmonica until he went to the digital world," TK stated. "He has treasured it ever since then. It rarely leaves his side now." Looking from Tai, to his brother, and back to Tai, he said, "I'm gonna go make Matt some soup. He showed me how a while ago in case he ever got sick." With one last look at the sleeping form on the bed, he exited the room and closed the door, leaning on it.

"Matt, if only you knew my feelings…" could be heard muffled through the door. _No, Tai. If only _you_ knew Matt's,_ TK thought before heading to the kitchen.

The brunette resumed petting the slumbering figure's hair. "Why must you be so damned stubborn?" he pouted, hand moving down to caress Matt's cheek.

Tai yanked his hand away at the knocks on the door. The 12-year-old blonde came in baring a tray with two bowls of soup. "You two can eat in here. I'm going back to the dining room to eat with Kari," TK informed, turning to leave.

"Wait, Kari's here?" he soccer player asked.

"Yeah. She followed you," TK said as his brother groaned, starting to wake up. "Make sure he doesn't strain himself," the boy added, smiling as he left.

Groggily, Matt opened his eyes to the glare of his bedroom light. Blue orbs no longer clouded by exhaustion, he could easily identify the person sitting on the bed next to him (well, even with blurred vision the hair would be a dead give away). "Tai?" he asked sleepily.

"Yeah, I'm right here," he said, reaching over and placing a hand on the blonde's forehead as he re-soaked the rag. His fever was still strong, and Tai found it difficult to pull his hand away. "How are you feeling?"

"Like something that's been eaten, shat out by a llama, and then baked," Matt replied, wincing at his words. He had meant to say something like, "I'm fine." Another effect of the cold; jet lag.

The tanned male nodded, barely containing a chuckle. "I know the feeling. Can you sit up?" A frown touched Tai's features as he watched the older boy struggle. With his strength greatly depleted, Matt was having difficulty just sitting up. Like he would trust him with scalding soup! As Matt closed his eyes and leaned against his wall, Tai took one of the spoons. Bringing it to his mouth, he gently blew on it until it quit steaming. "Open your mouth," the slightly-younger male commanded sweetly, grinning.

"What!?" Matt half-yelled (he can't full-yell currently), eyes snapping open and blushing at Tai's idiotic expression.

"I saw how much trouble you had just sitting up, so I'm feeding you," he replied, grin never leaving his face as he inched the spoon closer to Matt's tightly closed lips. "Then you can save your energy and get better faster."

"I don't need to be fed…" Matt insisted, without _any_ conviction.

"Too bad," Tai argued.

"I'm not hungry…" he tried, but, of course, his stomach chose that moment to growl.

"Well too damn bad! Stop being so stubborn and let me take care of you!"

Oceanic eyes diverted to the floor as a silence fell over the pair. Reluctantly, Matt sighed, "…fine." He accepted the warm liquid from Tai, swirling it around in his mouth as the brunette retrieved another spoonful. The atmosphere bordered on romantic, as the small figures in the hallway noted, with Tai doting over Matt like a husband over his sick wife.

The magic was broken a minute later as a third figure burst in. "Matt, I heard you were sick! Oh, hi Tai," said the female intruder. "Hey Tai, give me that spoon. This requires a woman's touch," Sora insisted, holding her hand out.

Tai defensively withdrew the utensil from her reach. "I got it, Sora," he grinned, trying to cover his possessive behavior. "I'm just returning a favor."

"A favor?" Sora asked, almost lunging at the fellow Digidestined but managing to take the spoon.

"Yeah," Tai pouted as the girl blew on the next bite of soup. "He helped me when I was sick so I wanted to do the same."

"I've got things in here. Why don't you go eat with TK and Kari?" she suggested hopefully, giving Matt another spoonful of cooled liquid.

_Tai can eat in here if he wants!_ Matt's mind screamed. He didn't say anything, but he noticed how neither was asking what he wanted, and were instead treating him like some object.

"Nah. Little kids need a 'woman's touch' more than Matt does," Tai said. "Why don't you go eat with them?"

Sora sighed and put the spoon back in the bowl. "Tai, I'd like to talk to Matt about something," she said. "Please go eat with TK and Kari."

Tai successfully hid his frown. "Okay, okay," he said, standing. He stopped in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder at the blonde. "Get better, Matt." The two kids exchanged worried glances as Tai sat down at the table. "I got kicked out…" he solemnly whispered. The younger siblings exchanged another look before Kari stood to get Tai a bowl of soup. This could seriously disrupt their plan.

* * *

Sora came out of Matt's room half an hour later, two empty bowls on the tray in her hands. The smile she wore rivaled Tai's normal one. Said boy was currently moping on the couch. He was slow, not stupid; he knew exactly what Sora asked. And, judging by her reaction, Matt said yes. He had lost his chance. _Stupid Tai!_ his mind berated him. _Of course Matt would say yes. He's not gay, so of course he'd say yes if a _girl**(2)**_ asked him out. You were stupid to believe he might actually like you too._

"Thank you, Tai," Sora said, breaking the male's chain of thought. In her cheer she didn't see her friend's depression.

"No problem…" Tai mumbled, receiving a peck on the cheek from the Digidestined of Love.

"See you tomorrow at school!" she cheered, leaving.

"Yeah, see you…" he mumbled, holding back tears. _So long as he's happy…_

* * *

**(1)** I tried calling him 'football player' because it's more widely used, but it reminds me of American Football, which I adamantly despise. So for my sanity, I'm calling him a soccer player instead.

**(2)** This is Tai berating himself for not being a girl, seeing as he thinks Matt isn't gay so if he was a girl Matt might date him.

Hey, do I put in too much detail? I almost feel like I do...


	5. Chapter 4: The Sick Day

Finally, the next chapter is up! Now, I skip around a lot in this chapter (another thing that annoys me to no end) and the 6th and 7th chapter will be like that as well most likely. Yes, I know what I am going to do for the next, like, 5 chapters. I just need to write them up and type them out.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 4: The Sick Day

He couldn't stand it anymore. He hadn't gone in to see Matt since Sora had kicked him out a couple hours before, and now just being in the same building as him hurt. It was like dangling a sandwich in front of a starving kid's face, and as they reach for it to pull it back and eat it instead. No, he wasn't saying Matt was a possession (like a sandwich), it was merely a simile.

But it hurt just as much to leave. To leave meant he was not repaying Matt for his kindness the night before. _Yeah, it was kindness, not love…_ To leave meant he was admitting Sora won. _Can you call it 'winning' when she was the only participant? I didn't even try, after all…_ To leave meant he was giving up. He was backing down. He was tossing in the towel. He was surrendering. _What point is there in fighting a battle you have no chance of winning? Why did I have to realize I love him?_

Sitting there was doing him no good, he knew. Determinedly, he stood and went to the door. Kari came over to him as he was slipping his shoes on. "Brother, where are you going?" she asked, worry and… sadness?... in her voice.

"I just need to leave for a bit," the athlete replied, not even trying to put on a fake smile and false happiness. Such tricks never fooled her. Besides, she knew of his affection for his best friend and had probably already guessed his turmoil.

"Oh… okay," she said in a quiet voice, gaze falling to the floor.

Tai gently patted Kari's head. "I just need a secluded place to think a while," he reassuringly said. "I promise." Without another word or waiting for an answer, he left, quietly closing the door behind himself.

TK walked up behind the brunette and put his arms around her shoulders. "Everything will work out in the end, somehow," he whispered in her ear.

"I really hope so…"

The dark-haired male walked without much purpose, trusting his feet to carry him to an isolated place. He vaguely noted the familiar path he walked, looking inward instead. He had to stop his heart hurting. He felt betrayed when he knew he shouldn't; Matt hadn't done anything, and neither had Sora.

Finally looking around, his chocolate eyes fell on the old slide and swing set. What a fitting irony, he ran to Matt. Or, more specifically, the same place Matt had run to. He could still see the displacement where the harmonica had been, and the bare spot where he had slid to catch his falling friend. _Why did it have to turn out like this?_

Legs heavy with sand, Tai lumbered over to the swings. He could already feel the stinging in his heart as he placed a hand on the seat of the swing he had used. Matt had run to him that bight, but why? A single stream was running down his cheek as he sat in the swing, almost seeing the apparition of the musician from the night before. And he started crying, unable and unwilling to prevent the silvery flow. He had to get it out of his system so he could move on and not ruin his friendship with the blonde. His fantasies would have to be enough to hold off his emotions.

He wasn't sure how much later it was, but it had been several hours at least when his phone started to ring. "Hello?" he asked, all evidence of his previous breakdown gone. His tears had stopped falling an hour before. Come on, he was the Child of Courage and the leader of the Digidestined, he couldn't be brought down just because someone didn't love him back. He couldn't afford it. He kept everyone up, just as everyone kept him up.

"Tai! Where are you?!" Kari's voice yelled. "Do you know what time it is? It's nearly 7, you've been gone for 8 hours now! Hurry up and get back or Agumon will eat your share of dinner!"

"I'm not hungry," Tai replied. "Don't worry about me, Kari. I just need a bit more time to myself. Promise." When no protest was given, the male hung up, letting his head fall. He knew he had to be strong, but he couldn't get passed the fact that he lost Matt to Sora… in half an hour.

* * *

The Child of Light stared helplessly at the phone. Her brother was in pain and she didn't know how to help him. Well, how to help him was obvious; they had to break up Matt and Sora. How to help him _now_ was the problem.

Glancing back at TK, the brunette turned out of the kitchen and towards the door. "I have to go find him," she said, watching the door as if expecting it to suddenly open. "Come on, Gatomon."

"I think we should leave him alone," the cat-like digimon stated. She noted that her human partner had made no move to leave while waiting for a response.

"But he's my brother…" she countered. "As he stated about Matt, he's more fragile than he shows. It's just his fragility is his emotions. Most people don't realize this because he is always smiling." Pulling on a jacket, the girl looked back at her companion. "Besides, if I leave him out there he could get sick again, and then where would Matt's nurturing last night go?"

Gatomon shook her head, closing her eyes. "Let him get sick," she said, walking up to the pre-teen and holding her hands. "It will teach him to think in a better spot."

"But Gatomon-" Kari tried, but was cut off by a gloved paw over her mouth.

"No buts. Do you think he's want you to see him break down?" her digimon asked. "Have faith in your brother, and help pick him up once he falls."

The human child's visage softened and she kneeled down, hugging her partner. "Yeah, you're right," she sighed. "I just worry about him. No one else can see the internal pain he feels." Standing, she removed her jacket from her shoulders and placed it back on the coat rack. She looked at the clock and then to the blonde boy that now stood by her. "It's getting kinda late, think I could stay the night, Takeru?" she asked, teasingly using his full name instead of his nickname. She had to get her mind off the depressing situation somehow, and teasing the boy seemed like a good solution.

"I don't think it would hurt anything," the boy stated, frowning. "But, Kari, you know why I asked you not to call me Takeru." TK had specifically asked the brunette to use his nickname.

"But, Takeruuuuuu," Kari whined. "Davis isn't here, so I can call you Takeru if I want." It had been a mutual agreement between the two children from the original Digidestined group. So as to not hurt their friend's feelings, they put their 'relationship' on hold. They hadn't started going out, but they were getting closer. Not that they'd have the time to get together anyway. Trying to get their brothers together was very time consuming.

In his room, the older blonde chuckled slightly. So that was the 'outside forces' that his little sibling kept saying kept him from asking Kari out. He could sympathize with their goggleheaded leader, though. It was no secret Davis liked Kari (though he had toned it down recently, Matt hadn't actually seen the cinnamon brunette hit on Kari in over a month), but it was also easy to see she liked TK. Davis couldn't win. _Just like me…_ he thought, the laughter dying in his throat. _It is quite cruel to love someone who won't love you back._ Resting his head in his knees, he drifted back to his own leader. _Hopefully Sora can make me get over you._

TK sighed, then smiled. "Hikari, stop it!" he complained, pouting.

A light flush kissed her cheeks. "H-hey!" she stammered, caught off guard. "No fair! Cute faces aren't allowed!"

"But Hikariiiiiii," the blonde teased back, feeling the warmth rush to his face.

"Are you sick, Takeruuuuuu?" Kari questioned, giggling. "Your face is all red."

"So is yours," the boy flirted, enticing more giggles from the girl (yeah, this is why they didn't use their full names around Davis).

That is, until Matt yelled," Some people actually are sick and are trying to sleep!" He couldn't stand their lovey-dovey banter anymore. It hurt to hear the joy in their voices, even though he knew it shouldn't. Just because he was stupid enough to fall for someone he couldn't have didn't mean he could take it out on them because they could have each other.

Kari's expression mirrored TK's. Both pre-teens had heard the underlying pain in the musician's tone. He made a mistake by agreeing to go out with Sora. And they had to fix it. Somehow.

* * *

At some point between 7 at night and 6 in the morning, Matt had fallen asleep. He knew this because the last time he remembered was a couple minutes to 7, when his thoughts of a certain brunette drove him to frustration. He did feel better this morning than he had last night, but not enough to want to suffer through it and go to school. Staying home meant he wouldn't have to face Sora, who he felt like he was cheating on by thinking of Tai, or Tai, who he felt he had betrayed by saying yes**(1)**.

The brunette did not have as much luck. Common sense told him at around 8 that it was cold out so he went home, avoiding a second cold that could have gotten him out of school. He had stayed up the entire night trying to clear his thoughts of a blonde singer, so he was walking half-dead to the building that would surely put him out of his misery. And to top it off, the last person he wanted to see found him first.

"Are you okay, Tai?" Sora asked, running to catch up to her unknowingly (to her) bitter friend. "You look like you stayed up all night. Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine. Just thinking a lot," he replied. "And make one joke about my thinking skills and I may punch you in the arm, male or female, I'm too tired to care right now," Tai added to cut Sora off as she opened her mouth to add a smart remark.

"Ahh…" Sora complained playfully. "I wanted to tease you while I might still be able to outrun you."

"Don't you have someone else you could pester?" Tai asked, annoyed at the chipper mood she was in, knowing where it came from.

"Hm, well I could go pick on Jyou," she said, smiling. "We have an Anatomy and Physiology test today, and I can try to convince him it's on a different chapter." Still grinning, the girl waved at the she seemed to have stolen her new personality from and took off.

Sighing again, the soccer player continued at a slow pace, stopping when his phone went off. Opening the picture message, he smiled. Someone (he figured either TK or Kari for he doubted his sister hadn't told her best friend about his crush) had sent him a picture of Matt. The other male was asleep in his bed. The blankets had all but fallen off of him and his light blue pajama shirt had the first two buttons undone, affording the photographer a view of the musician's pale collarbone. Matt's blonde hair was messy, but not disheveled, falling over his closed eyes. Tai wasn't sure if he should thank the sender or curse them, for this was both merciful and torturous at the same time.

Closing his phone and rubbing his eyes, the 15-year-old continued on to class. Somehow he had to stay conscious throughout the day.

First period passed slowly. As the bell rang, the teacher called him to their desk. "So you think you could give this to Matt?" the teacher asked. The blonde had been the only student absent, and it was no secret that he and Tai were best friends, so of course Tai would be the best one to ask. "I'd wait until he got back, but he might need the time to decide on a project."

"Yeah, sure," the brunette replied, taking the paper and trying not to yawn as he left to his next class… which was worse than the previous class.

Tai did not make it through second period. A white board eraser left chalk in his hair (**A/N:** Wait, where'd the eraser go? Tai: In here somewhere. *points to hair*) as the teacher used it to wake the sleeping teen. "I said, Tai, could you please answer this simple geometry problem?"

Blurry eyed, the brunette spaced towards the board. "I could, but that would interrupt my nap," he said, words slurred with sleep.

"Tai, detention!" the teacher yelled. Poor Tai. That teacher really hated him, and punished him every change she got. Although, because there are technically no rules against sleeping in class, that detention would later be declared invalid and he wouldn't have to serve it. But that is off subject.

Lunch didn't come soon enough. Our exhausted protagonist had dozed off in 4th and 5th period as well. At least they woke him in a more polite way. "Tai, maybe you should just go home and rest," Izzy commented, sitting his tray next to the snoozing athlete's. Said teenager stirred just enough to tell him the red-head he heard him.

Several other people sat down before Tai finally lifted his head from the table. "Maybe you're right… I can't even stay awake so I might as well just leave," he said, turning to face his friend. "What are you doing?"

Izzy was moving a clump of… something… around his tray, frowning at it. "Calculating the probability this is edible," the computer geek stated, stopping to look a Tai. "Drop that assignment off on your way home," he added, having been in 1st period with the other male and realizing that was what the teacher had called him up for.

"Yeah," he said, standing and leaving. His legs felt heavy as he slowly plodded down the sidewalk, and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep his eyes open. Stopping at a junction, Tai gazed in the direction that would lead him to his crush. "I'll go over there later tonight," he yawned. "Too tired to right now." And he started off in the other direction.

* * *

Matt woke from his nap, well rested but still slightly sluggish. He would definitely be up to going to school tomorrow. Picking up the phone (they have two phones, one in the hall and one in the kitchen, he took the hall one) he dialed Yutaka's number. "Yeah, I'll be at practice tomorrow," he said, smiling. His band was a good distraction from school, which was one of the reasons he stayed in it, despite the time it took up. Now it could distract him from a certain brunette as well… unless he came up with a song for the other male… "It's kinda too late for me to come tonight. It's already 6. Yeah, bye Yutaka."

TK appeared just as he hung up the phone. "Matt, you are up," the smaller blonde said as Matt took in his appearance. TK was wearing Matt's pink apron (not that there were any others in that house) and the smell of food followed him from the kitchen. "I thought I heard you. Say, did Tai come by earlier? He apparently has an assignment for you."

"No, he didn't," Matt replied, a thin sheet of disappointment layering in his tone. "What are you cooking?" His blue eyes held a joke in them. When TK first learned Matt used a pink apron, the smaller blonde had snorted and said, "I'd never be caught dead in that!" Now, here he was, standing in front of Matt, wearing the humiliating item.

Blushing and fiddling with the edges, TK replied, "Oh, well, Kari wanted chicken and potatoes and macaroni, so I was fixing it up. She said she'd pull Tai over, too, so he wouldn't have to eat alone."

Speaking of Tai, the athlete was just heading out the door to bring Matt the homework. He plan was quite simple. First, he would walk to Matt's apartment and knock on the door. When Matt answered, Tai would say "hi" and hand him the paper. Then he would leave. No chance to do something stupid. No chance to ruin their friendship. Wait, Kari didn't fit in his plan!

"Oh, Tai, perfect timing," his sister said as she intercepted him on her way home from Matt's. "TK wanted us over for dinner at Matt's. You're coming, right?" she asked, hoping she wouldn't have to resort to threats. There were some things their parents didn't know yet.

She could not mask her disappointment when he shook his head. "No, Kari. I'm just dropping off the work and heading home."

"Tai…" Kari sympathetically said, all thoughts of threatening him lost. "How long do you plan to avoid your best friend? You love him, don't you? You said that yourself. Don't you think it might hurt him for you to avoid him so much?"

"Kari, he doesn't need me anymore!" Tai shouted, tears pushing against his eyes for freedom. "He has Sora now! I'm not stupid, I know exactly what she asked. And she came out the happiest person alive." Tear were now making tracks down his tanned cheeks. "He could have said no, but he didn't. He let her practically push me from his room. Do you know how much that hurt me?"

Kari deflated. "Tai, I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault," he said, retrieving the assignment from pocket. Change of plan. "Could you give this to him, please? I don't feel up to going anymore."

Solemnly taking the item, she watched her brother disappear around a corner. "Tai…" she whispered before heading back to TK. She knew it was irrational, but she was starting to hate Sora. Yes, Sora had caused this, but unintentionally. Thus irrational hate. "If only you'd open your eyes, you'd see how much Matt cares for you." Walking into the apartment, she saw Matt, who was sitting on the couch, quickly look away from the door. "Tai wouldn't come," she said to TK, but directed it to Matt, who subtly cringed. Okay, sometimes it was hard to tell, so Tai can't be fully put to blame.

"I thought you said you were going to make him come," the younger male whispered.

"Tai's been depressed all day," she said louder than TK, so Matt could hear. "And it's all Matt's fault."

"Is this a game of 'Make Matt Feel Guilty'?" TK asked, voice still hushed.

"Those two have to make up," she whispered, almost harshly, back. "They are too stubborn and thick-skulled to realize each other's feelings!"

TK smirked (an action that sent kills down Kari's spine), and nodded. "Too bad Tai feels so down. I think it was around the time Sora kicked him out of Yamato's room," he said in a normal voice.

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Matt shouted, exasperated. "I'll figure out what I did wrong and apologize!" He stood and stalked out the still open door, slamming it behind him. TK grinned at Kari and winked before returning to dinner.

It was colder outside than it looked, and Matt wasn't wearing a jacket (or the two sweatshirts he usually wore under it in the winter). He briefly tossed around the idea of heading back and getting one, but could practically hear TK and Kari berating him for 'returning early.' Besides, Tai's place wasn't that far away, it wouldn't be that long a walk, he'd survive. Rubbing his shoulders to keep warm, he set off at a brisk pace. He'd have to make sure he didn't appear cold when he arrived, not wanting to worry the boy he secretly loved.

Matt pounded on the door just as a chill breeze blew through, causing his teeth to chatter. Now he wished he had gone back for a jacket. The sleeveless shirt so alike to the one he wore back in the digital world held no protection from the elements.

Inside, Tai stood from the couch and walked to the front door, opening it. "Hello? Oh, hey Matt."

"You going to invite me in or leave me out here in the cold?" he snapped, angry at TK and Kari for guilting him there, pissed at the wind for choosing that moment to blow, peeved at the cold for being so… cold. Basically, furious at everything _but_ the brunette. Suddenly realizing his harshness (and Tai's startled expression), he said, "Sorry, I'm just irritable from the cold…"

"It's fine. Come in," Tai said, closing the door behind the blonde before moving back to the couch and sitting down. He sounded… off.

Standing just off the center of the room, Matt bluntly stated, "You have been avoiding me since yesterday morning and Kari said it's my fault. If something's wrong tell me or I might not figure it out."

"Nothing's wrong. Whatever Kari said, don't listen to her," Tai replied, swallowing hard. _She didn't tell him I... did she?_ his mind raced. Somehow his voice stayed even. "If I was really avoiding you I would have looked through the window and pretended to not be home."

"Tai, I may not be that observant but even I can tell something is wrong," Matt said, sitting next to his friend and looking at him worriedly.

"Look, nothing is the matter than anyone can do anything about. So let's just drop it," Tai sighed.

The musician stayed still for a moment before he slumped. "Tai… I don't want you angry at me…" he said, voice genuinely hurt.

"Angry? Why would I be angry at you?" the brunette asked, looking at Matt. "I have no reason to be angry at you."

Matt looked up at Tai fiercely, oceanic eyes holding chocolate ones for a few seconds before Tai broke the contact. "Then explain to me why you keep avoiding me!" the blonde yelled, holding back tears. A moment slipped by, the soccer player still refusing to look at him or speak. Conversation from the night before floated through his head. _"Matt, I heard you were sick! Oh, hi Tai. hey Tai, give me that spoon. This requires a woman's touch." "I got it Sora. I'm just returning a favor." Is that all he was doing? "A favor?" "Yeah. He helped me when I was sick so I wanted to do the same." Did he really not want to be near me? Was he really only returning a favor? Is he down because I took his chance with Sora from him? After I kissed him... Is that it? Could Tai be homophobic?_ "Did you hate it _that much?_ Was kissing me so _disgusting_ that you don't want to see me again?" The words were out before he could think things through. He didn't want to bring it up, yet he did. There was a minute of silence where the two stared at each other, Matt's pale skin growing red. Then, as Tai opened his mouth to speak, Matt bolted.

Tai got up just as quickly and ran to the door. "Matt!" he called out, stopping in the doorway. The soccer player could easily catch up to the other male, but if Matt didn't stop, if Matt didn't show some sign that he wanted to talk, what would be the point? The retreating blonde didn't so much as slow, and Tai somberly closed the door. Leaning forward with his forehead on the cold wood, he whispered, "It's not that it was disgusting… I actually enjoyed it… but you… you didn't seem to like it, Matt…"

He had nearly stopped when he heard Tai call after him, but adrenaline wouldn't let him sow. Tears flying from his eyes, legs burning from lactic acid buildup, he was forced to stop for a breather. He looked back, but what did he expect? For Tai to follow him? "Stupid," he cursed himself, using other, not-so-pleasant words before walking the rest of the way to his apartment.

TK watched his brother slam the door open and run down the hall without removing his shoes. As he went to close the door, the young blonde saw the first snowflake fall. Hard to believe Christmas was only 2 months away. "I don't think it went well," he said to Kari.

The girl sighed and shook her head. "Tai probably said something stupid again."

"Matt was crying," TK stated. In the split second he had seen his brother's face he could tell. "That means _he_ said something stupid."

"Do you think we may be pushing too hard, TK?"

"Maybe," the blonde agreed. His eyes turned to take in Matt's closed door. "Maybe we should lay off for a bit." Walking into the kitchen, he dished up a plate of cold food and popped it in the microwave. Walking down the hallway with the steaming plate, he sat it on the floor to the left of the door. "I'm leaving your dinner here, Yamato," he said, using the musician's full first name in an attempt to comfort him, before heading back to the living room and sitting on the couch next to Kari.

The brunette shook her head. "Older brothers are so stupid…"

"Maybe it's just the gay ones," TK suggested, making sure to keep his voice low enough so Matt couldn't hear. "After all, they have a girl's emotional strength (or intensity) without a girl's emotional capacity."

The Chosen of Light could only nod in agreement.

* * *

"It's getting late," TK commented a couple hours later. They had just finished watching a scary movie about 2 kids walking down a deserted street and have a murderer follow them home. "Want me to walk you home?"

Kari looked over at him and shook her head. "You don't have to," she said, standing.

TK quickly got up and moved between Kari and the door. "I-I think it would be best if I walked you h-home," he insisted, trying not to stutter.

The brunette could barely contain her smirk. "You're not scared, are you TK?" she asked.

"NO!" he replied a little too hastily and forcefully.

"Okay, then I'm gonna walk home now," she said, pushing passed him and grabbing her shoes.

"W-wait!" the blonde stammered, running over to her. "Y-you never know w-who might be out there. Maybe I sh-should come with you!"

"I'll be fine, TK," Kari giggled, shoes now on her feet, opening the door.

"But Kari," TK protested, looking thoroughly pathetic. Yeah, he might be able to walk her home, but what about him coming home?

"You just stay here, you big baby," she chuckled, leaving the apartment.

TK slumped to the floor. Matt, needing a mood change, snuck up behind his brother, who was preoccupied with his departing not-quite-a-girlfriend-yet. He had seen some of the movie the two had watched and decided to play a cruel joke on the smaller male. The killer always came up from behind his victim and placed a hand over their mouth, a gun to their back, and drug them into an alley or room to kill them. For a fleeting moment, Matt pondered calling Tai and telling him to pull the same prank on Kari, but he wasn't sure how to talk to the brunette yet. Instead, he settled for placing a hand over TK's mouth with the butt of his pocketknife to the small of his back. Needless to say, the younger blonde FREAKED.

TK's blue eyes enlarged to the size of small melons, heart rate skyrocketing. His entire body stiffened, one thought repeating over and over in his head, _I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!_

"TK, are you okay?" the musician asked casually, as if he didn't know (and was the cause of) what suddenly came over his sibling.

The younger boy whipped his head around to glare death at his brother before he skittered around to the other side of the couch. "Don't _ever_ do that again!"

"Okay, okay," Matt chuckled, holding his hands up defensively. "Calm down." Walking over, he ruffled TK's blonde locks before proceeding to his bedroom door. "Get to bed soon."

Matt's attack had a major negative affect on the boy, though, and he immediately ran to the phone and dialed the Kamiya line.

Tai was in his room, lying on his bed drawing a picture of Matt when he was 12. The athlete could remember ever detail, even though it had been 3 years. _Everything was so much simpler back then,_ he thought. _Back then I could look at Matt without remember what it felt like to have his lips pressed to mine._

A ringing met his ears and the brunette rushed to the phone, momentarily glancing at the caller ID. Seeing Hiroaki Ishida**(2)**, he snatched up the receiver. "Matt? Please just hear me out and don't hang up or run away again because I have to tell you I didn't hate kissing you," he blurted out before the other person could be confirmed as Matt.

For a second, the blonde froze. _No, Kari, danger!_ "No Tai, it's TK," the boy quickly responded. He could almost fell the heat of Tai's blush through the phone. "Listen, we just watched a movie about a guy who attacks people as they walk home and takes them into dark alleys and kills them or hangs them by their toes on barbed wire fences (his over-active imagination created that one) or sneaks into their -" he had to take a breath to finish "-drags them into their bathroom and drowns them in their shower! I'm worried for Kari!"

Tai blinked in confusion. "TK, are you okay? Oh, hi Kari. You're boyfriend's worried about you." Kari could barely be heard in the background saying, "we're not going out!" "TK, she's fine. Just got home, actually."

"Is she alright?" he fearfully yelled. Matt, who had yet to go in his room, stuck a finger in his ear to help drown out his brother's hysterics. "The killer would mark his victims! Sometimes he put poisonous spiders in their hair (another made up one)!"

Tai shook his head despite the fact the younger blonde couldn't see him. "TK, she's fine. She's in bed."

"NO!" the 12-year-old yelled as if that was the worst thing in the world. "The killer always went after the sleeping ones first! They didn't make any—Hey, Matt!" The last words were faintly heard before the singer's melodic voice was transmitted.

"TK is going to bed now. Sorry to disturb you. Bye." Before Tai could reply, Matt hung up.

"Matt, wait! I have to…" The dial tone greeted the crestfallen teenager. Kari watched her brother replace the phone on the dock and head back to his room.

* * *

**(1)** He feels like he betrayed their friendship. For one, he thinks Tai likes Sora and he (Matt) doesn't. The second thing is he now has less time to spend with his friend because he will have to spend time with Sora.

**(2) **Hiroaki's name appears on the caller ID because he pays the phone bill.

Another thing I realized is sometimes I will skip time or characters without putting in a break. This is intentional.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter (it's longer than chapter 2!).


	6. Chapter 5: The Next Day

Okay, first of all, I said this on my DaiKen fic, but forgot to on the other ones. Every other Thursday is when I'm updating (I might be a day late and do it on Friday sometimes, though).

Second, I am going to try and shorten the chapters for this fanfic so I won't have to rush at the last minute to get it up in time.

Now then, a little thing to help you figure out what is going on in this chapter, class scedules:

Taichi Yamato

1)History 1)History  
2)Geometry 2)Algebra II  
3)Music 3)Music  
4)Japanese 4)Japanese  
5)Science 5)Science  
Lunch  
6)Art 6)art  
7)Gym 7)Cooking

Enjoy!

**I do not own Digimon :'( **

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Next Day**

Rolling out of bed, Matt could not help but dread first period. Twice the previous day ha had cut Tai off before he had the chance to talk. Now he had a class sitting right next to the guy with a teacher that rambled worse than the brunette. He wouldn't even realize the school was burning down around him until his book caught on fire. If Tai wanted to corner him, that would be the first possible time.

Having a quick breakfast of toast (he would normally have a more elaborate meal), the blonde rushed out the door early, hoping to avoid Tai at the junction they'd always meet up at. Running past the intersection and on to school, he didn't see the sad look on his best friend's face. Tai had left early so Matt couldn't slip by (Matt normally arrived first) and he could talk to his best friend. But, judging by the musician's attitude, he didn't want to talk about it.

"Izzy!" Matt yelled, catching the redhead as he arrived at the gate.

"Hey Matt," Izzy called back. "Good to see you're doing batter. You are doing better, right?"

"Yeah," the blonde answered. "Nothing a good day's rest couldn't beat," he said, stopping next to the other male. "Do you know if I missed anything other than this?" Matt waved the paper TK had given him. TK got it from Kari, who got it from Tai.

"A bit of math, but nothing difficult," the computer geek replied. "You'll have to do the make up work for art and cooking, most likely. (**A/N:** Izzy does not have cooking with Matt, but knows the teacher. Cooking is seventh period, Tai has gym, Izzy has computers.) Tai has more classes with you than I do."

The blonde nodded as they resumed movement. Between Tai and Izzy, he only had one class without someone to ask. But speaking to Tai would be awkward. "Omf!" Matt really should have been paying attention to where he was going. "Oh, sorr-" he cut off as he realized it was Tai he had ran into. At some point, the brunette had passed by him. Standing rigid, dead silent, Matt could only think one thing. _What so you say to a person you blew up at because _you_ kissed _him_?_

"It's okay," Tai said, his characteristic grin on his face. He seemed to have completely forgetting the whole problem in the first place, and Matt could not stop the small sting in his chest. He found he did not want Tai to forget that kiss. A part of him, a very small, _insignificant_ part of him, had hoped Tai would push him to confess. Yes, Tai did like to avoid problems like fighting with friends (thought that is pretty hard with Matt), but he was also an extremely nosy person. For him to let this matter drop… Was he alright?

"Tai, was that assignment the only thing I missed yesterday?" the blonde asked, both boys heading to his locker.

"Yeah," the brunette replied, resituating his bag on his shoulder.

"Okay," Matt said, silence falling in his word's wake. Closing the locker, he went to class, Tai following slightly behind him. "The homework from Thursday is due today, right?" he asked, trying to lessen the heavy silence.

"Yeah," Tia replied, then paled.

"You forgot to do it, didn't you?" his friend asked, chuckling slightly.

"Ah, be quiet," the soccer player teased, Matt's tactic successfully working, for now.

"Be nice and you can copy mine," Matt whispered as they entered the classroom and sat down. Tai quickly duplicated the answers, giving the paper back before class started and opening his sketchbook. As usual, Matt turned in both his and Tai's work (would that boy even know where the turn in basket was?). Upon returning to his seat, the musician realized Tai was still buried in his sketchbook. "What are you drawing?" he asked, hoping to break the awkward silence that had once again fallen over them.

"I'm not sure yet. I drew you last night, though," the brunette replied, not even thinking of how strange that sounded. He also didn't realize the solemn tone in it.

Fighting against the flush in his cheeks, he somehow managed to steadily say, "What'd you do something so girly for? Great, soon I'm going to have a hoard of fan boys, too, if my best friend has already fallen for me." The second part was said in mock-humility with a side of jokingness.

Tai, even though he knew Matt was kidding, could not help but blush. "It's nothing like that" he replied indignantly. "I just like to draw, and you're my best friend so it's only natural. It shows I care!"

_At least he's not mad,_ Matt thought, grinning. There was still an uncomfortable tension between them, a connotation that neither of them wanted to be the first to speak. Several nervous glances fell on the pair. Normally, not even Matt could shut up the soccer star. Now, though, both seemed to be completely disregarding the other's existence. Matt's 'make Tai laugh and get back to normal' plan had utterly failed, leaving them in the same predicament they had been in a few minutes before.

Tai was the first out of the classroom when the bell rang, leaving a very hurt Matt behind. For not the first time, the blonde wondered, _Why the hell did I have to kiss him?_ Lazily stacking his books, he was about to leave when something caught his eye. "Tai's sketchbook?" he inquired. The black book rested on his best friend's desk, the words 'Do not touch!' scribbled in apparent Tai handwriting. _Yep, definitely Tai's sketchbook. He must have accidentally forgotten it. Guess I can get it back to him third period. _Picking up the slim item, he gently sat it on his texts and headed in the opposite direction Tai had gone, their second periods being on opposite sides of the building.

He kept his will up pretty long, considering his curiosity. The sketchpad was not his, so he had no right to look through it, but it _was_ his best friend's, so he had every right to. Besides, Tai said he had drawn Matt, and the musician wanted to see it. About fifteen minutes into class, he could no longer help it. Algebra II be damned (not that he wasn't great at math anyway), he wanted to know!

Flipping to the first page, Matt was truly shocked. It was just a rough sketch, but even from the back one could tell it was him. He was sitting in a chair, elbow on the window sill, facing the wind that lightly ruffled his hair and the curtains. The detail showed every wrinkle in clothing and curtains and sheets, for his bed was just to the right of the chair. Yes, one could even tell it was _his_ room.

_Wow, Tai,_ he thought, careful not to touch, and thus smudge, the pencil sketch. _Since when could you draw so well? And from memory, too! _He was about to close the pad when one last aspect of the picture drew his attention. Nestled in the lower left corner was a name and a set of numbers. _Taichi Kamiya_ was written in the boy's slanted signature**(1)**; the number set below it read: _9/13/XX_**(2)**.

Matt's breath caught in his breath. Those numbers could only mean one thing, a date. _September thirteenth?_ his mind reeled. _That's a month ago. This can't be the picture he was talking about. Why would he draw me? Okay spaz, calm down. He said he drew me because it showed he cared about me. Maybe that's all it is. He was bored, so he drew his best friend. Let's test this theory ad look at the rest..._

* * *

_Where is it!?_ Tai's mind screamed, becoming frantic as the bell rang. _Please tell me Matt doesn't have it! No, hope Matt has it and just hasn't looked through it. That would be better than one of the gossip girls getting a hold of it and writing an article about how I'm obsessed with my best friend. Oh please don't have him look through it! _Tai was out the door (with the rest of his belongings _firmly_ in his arms) with that thought resounding in his mind.

It took all Matt's self control to not blush. The entire thing was filled with pictures of him. Not just one or two, but the twenty-three pages that were used were sketches of him. He may be Tai's closest friend, but to dedicate a whole sketchbook to another _boy_, even if that boy was his best friend… Matt couldn't ask. His mind was already made up. He'd give the pad back, try not to blush, and deny opening it if Tai asked. "No need to look at crappy drawings" or some other excuse. That was another thing that got to him. How did _Tai_ draw so well?

Flopping into his seat, the brunette placed his head in his hands. _Matt was never supposed to look at that, ever_**(3)**_! And now he probably has it in his grasp and... I don't even want to think about it!_ Tai let out a noise somewhere between a whimper and a groan, sinking into his desk even more.

The blonde slowly walked through the threshold, not even looking at his friend as he tossed the book nearly on his bowed head. "You left that in first period," he calmly articulated while taking his seat (again next to Tai) gracefully, trying to act normal. He still wouldn't look at Tai.

The teen jumped at the loud _smack!_ of paper on wood, blinking at the item of his worry a couple seconds before quickly scooping it up and hugging it tightly to his chest. "Thanks," he lovingly cooed.

"Try not to forget stuff, it's a pin to have to carry it around for a period," Matt replied, chancing a glance at the other male. Seeing the soccer player's reaction, and knowing what was in it, the musician could not contain the flush in his cheeks and snapped his head forward. It wasn't that he was attention, but that the euphoric look on Tai's face was too cute. _Cute enough to kis—No! Stop thinking like that! You are starting to sound like a lovesick school girl,_ he scolded, mentally growling at the small part of his mind asking smugly, _Just starting?_

Biting his lower lip nervously, Tai gently sat down his sketchpad. "So… how was second period?" he asked normally. Hard to believe his mind had already passed out from an overload of emotion, mostly worry and embarrassment.

"Boring and easy, as usual," Matt responded, equally casual. _He's trying to hint if I looked in his sketchbook,_ the blonde realized. "What's it that you got in that anyway?" he asked. "Let me see so I can comment on how much you need to improve." He grinned, referring to the time Tai really _did _suck at drawing. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen the obnoxious brunette's drawings in years.

Tai huffed at the insult, puffing his cheeks and chest. The musician in the seat next to him could barely contain his chuckle. "Well, I'll show you!" he indignantly puffed, crazily flipping through the sketchbook. Slamming the open pad on his friend's desk, the soccer player crossed his arms over is chest and arrogantly sat back a bit, intently watching the other boy's facial expression.

Matt stared at a younger version of himself. He had already determined in second period (because of the date at the bottom) this was the one Tai had told him about. Still, Tai's skills and memory amazed him into forgetting to act surprised, his mind focused on the thought, _Tai must have watched mea lot to remember all this stuff. _The other male's glare wavered, reminding the blonde how he should be reacting. "Wow… You've gotten better…" he breathed out, hoping he sounded authentic enough to fool the scatter brained gogglehead to his right.

_He's not surprised! He looked through it!_ said gogglehead's recently revived mind panicked. "Thanks…" he muttered, snatching it back and looking away.

_Crap! He suspects something!_ "You must have a girl you'd like to draw, though," he said in desperation.

A small sting waltzed through his chest at the word 'girl.' "Yeah, I guess," he said, faking his characteristic grin as he looked back at his friend.

_Smooth, Sherlock,_ Matt berated himself as his heart drop. He couldn't bring himself to ask who. It was bad enough already without himself using whoever the lucky girl (he suspected Sora) was as a comparison. Not to mention that if it was Sora he would not be able to help but feel guilty around her, knowing he caused his crush's unhappiness.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the music room as the class' normal source of entertainment kept unnaturally silent.

* * *

Matt glanced around the huge common room, looking for Tai. The two hadn't spoken since third period, too busy thinking and getting no where (not that Tai _ever_ got anywhere when thinking), but the blonde doubted Tai would go so far as to go elsewhere just to avoid him, especially since they always sat with the rest of their friends. After several minutes and no sign of the bushy-haired athlete, Matt started to fidget. Tai was never late to lunch. Tai was never late when food was involved. Maybe something happened to him. Or maybe, the girl he liked wasn't Sora and she was spending time with his Ta—best friend. _Yeah, best friend,_ the musician's mind sadly mused. _The only thing Tai is to me is a best friend and _unrequited_ crush. Besides, I have Sora now. _He had hoped going out with Sora would get him over his obsession with Tai, but he could not stop the horrible retch in his gut when the girl took Tai's seat at the lunch table. Still, he could not bring himself to tell her to move to his other side.

Tai had gone to the lunch room just long enough to grab his lunch, then made his way outside before anyone could drag him over to Matt. He did not want to see Matt and Sora get closer and closer. Petty though he knew it was, he was extremely jealous of the girl. He pulled out his sketchbook, hoping to find something, or someone, else to focus his mind on. Trying to draw someone other than Matt, though, proved useless. No matter who he tried to make the figure into, it continued to transform into the blonde, and he finally gave up and finished it. Closing the pad, he looked back towards the lunch room. "Matt belongs to Sora," he told himself. "I have to give up on him, and find someone else. Mimi, maybe?" For some reason, he didn't sound convincing.

The thing more disappointing than Sora's theft of Tai's seat was the gogglehead's non-appearance, and Matt's sigh did not go unnoticed. Concerned, Sora watched the blonde cautiously, not wanting the male, or any of the others, to realize what she was doing. Whether it was female intuition or because she held the Crest of Love**(4)**, she guessed there were more emotions towards the missing teen than Matt was letting on.

The bell rang as Matt was throwing his trash away. Quickly grabbing his book bag, the musician waved a hasty goodbye and rushed off. For once, he made it to sixth period before Tai, and entertained the idea of waiting and pairing up with him usual for 'sketch day.' Guiltily, he did not want to be near Tai. Seeing Izzy enter, he walked over to him. "Izzy, mind pairing with me today?" the blonde asked.

The computer wiz raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Don't you normally team up with Tai?" he asked.

"Yeah, but…" Matt started, unable or unwilling to come up with an excuse for his behavior.

The redhead watched Tai enter the classroom, glancing back and forth between him and the singer, before quickly turning away. "Yeah, I'll team up with you," he said, eyes still following Tai.

Not physically reacting did not mean he did not emotionally react. He could not deny they were avoiding each other, so he approached Mimi. "Hey, wanna pair up with me, Mimi?" he grinned.

"Okay!" the pink-haired female shouted in her overly-loud bordering-on-obnoxious voice.

Matt cringed, also catching onto the fact they were breaking apart, and realizing he was the cause of it. In trying to salvage his friendship, he knew he would eventually destroy it. And it was too late to reverse the damage or rate of decline. He could only sit back and watch his best friend drift away.

Smiling, Tai said, "You know, I like how well you can express yourself, Mimi. You're so open. It's refreshing."

Izzy noticed Matt cringe again. With the bell ringing, the redhead snapped his fingers in Matt's face. "Matt, let's find a shady spot," he said. "Before they're all taken."

The teens shuffled outside, Tai and Mimi taking the spot he and Matt normally took, while said blonde and Izzy took a seat under the shade of a tree a few meters away. Tai noticed Matt had sat with his back to him. Whether intentional or not, he didn't know. Diverting his attention back to his own partner he opened his sketchpad to draw. _Yeah, I can draw Mimi instead of Matt, _he told himself.

"Wow Tai!" came the enthusiastic yell, drawing the entire class' attention (except Matt, who was purposely ignoring them, and yes, Izzy noticed, too). "Where did you learn to draw like that?! That's so good!"

A blush crept onto Tai's cheeks. Guess what, he was drawing Matt again. "Uhmmm… Th-thanks? I-I sort of taught myself… You're… making everyone stare… Can you keep your voice down a little?" he suggested, embarrassed by the class' reaction and hurt by Matt's. He wasn't even sure _what_ he had done to piss Matt off.

"Oh, sorry!" Mimi chimed quieter, but no less enthusiastic.

"Okay, what happened between you two?" Izzy asked his blonde partner, who was too into what he was drawing.

"Nothing," he whispered unconvincingly.

"You're lying. Everyone knows you and Tai are always partners, even after you've been fighting. So, something happened," Izzy stated, laying down his pencil and crossing his arms.

"It's okay. I'm just not used to people being loud and nice at the same time, or at all, really," Tai grinned to Mimi, none the wiser to Matt and Izzy's conversation.

Said blonde, despite trying to ignore his crush, tuned into every word and winced again. "I-it's my problem… I-I'm trying to deal with it…" Matt whispered even quieter. Realization dawned on the intelligent teen's face. It _was_ a possibility. He didn't have enough evidence to prove it, though, and decided to just drop it. Needing to change the subject, Izzy tipped the distracted musician's sketchpad.

"Oh my god, Matt," he yelled suddenly, everyone turning to look at that pair now. "You really suck at drawing!"

"Hey!" the male huffed back, obviously embarrassed Izzy had just yelled that.

"I didn't know you could make bears into stick figures," the redhead continued.

"That's not a bear, it's a horse!" Matt indignantly retorted.

Tai blinked and looked to his best friend. Hearing Matt's hilarious reply, he could no longer hold in his laughter. The blonde grew angry at Tai's obviously-it's-Tai-laughing laugh, and attacked the paper again. Why did he have to laugh like that? Matt had never insisted on seeing Tai's drawings because he didn't want Tai to see his. He had musical talent, not artistic talent. Now Tai knew, though. Well, he knew Tai's too, butthatwasn'tthepoint! The brunette had just calmed down when Izzy had to speak up again. "Matt, your 'horse' is looking more like a stick figure rhinoceros, now," he commented, chuckling.

"Shut up!" Matt snapped. "That's its mane!"

Snickering, he returned to drawing his best friend. _I really need to find someone else to draw,_ the brunette thought. _Except Sora. I don't even want to think about her! She took Matt. And Matt... That bastard stole my first kiss! And then he acts like it's nothing and goes for Sora! Why did he play with my feelings like that?_

Matt peered at the paper on Izzy's laptop and sighed. "Hey Izzy," he said, obtaining the male's attention. "Can you teach me?" he asked pointing to the paper. He would have asked Tai, but… Shouldn't it feel awkward to be near the friend who you think of kissing, holding, and possibly going farther with? The going farther with was a 'once (if) we get into a relationship and are together awhile' thing, but he had still thought about it.

"I can help you with that," he replied.

"You're really good at drawing Matt," Mimi said, smiling sweetly.

"Well, it could be because I rarely hang out with anyone else," Tai stated. "Maybe I should hang out with you more…" _This could be your chance to get over Matt,_ the soccer player mentally said.

"Are you asking me out, Taichi Kamiya?" the pink-haired girl asked.

Matt held his breath, an action Izzy was too busy instructing to see. "Possibly," the athlete confirmed. "Embarrassing as it is to say, I've never gone out with anyone. I could use some experience. It'd be nice knowing someone cared about me other than in a friendly or sibling way."

"Hmm," Mimi hummed, thinking it over. "Alright! I could help you out," she replied, smiling. The blonde a few meters away felt his breath painfully leave his chest. "But only for a couple weeks, okay? This is just experience. I already have a crush on someone. But, at least you won't feel weird with your first girlfriend."

"Thanks, Mimi," Tai quietly cheered, hugging the girl. A taste rose in the back of his throat, a feeling saying, "This isn't right." "I kind of feel like I'm using you, though."

"Don't worry," the girl smiled, enthusiastically punching the air. "I am always glad to help a friend."

Matt did not feel very 'friendly' towards Mimi at that moment. She was stealing _his_ Tai! _Wait! What the hell are you thinking, Matt? Quit being possessive over something that is not yours! _Not wanting to explode at the girl who no deserve his enmity ( he's _supposed_ to be the Child of Friendship), he stood suddenly. "I need to go to the nurse," he said, gathering his supplies and promptly leaving. _Mimi has done nothing wrong. It's your fault, Matt. You should never have kissed Tai._

* * *

**(1)** I know it would be in Japanese, but I'm not sure how they write signitures so bear with me.

**(2)** Not sure what year exactly this is in, so put input what year you think it should be =)

**(3)** Tai has been drawing Matt for a while and couldn't figure out why so he never wanted Matt to know. Now he knows the reason and doesn't want Matt to know even more.

**(4)** If they didn't get their Crests back by the end of Season 2 (I saw up to episode 41) then they have them now.

I have good news people. For once, I am one chapter ahead in this one. I got it all written up. But the bad news is you have to wait 2 weeks for it.

Ja ne!


	7. Chapter 6: The Next Two Weeks

Now then, I realize this chapter is quite a bit shorter than the last one, but I am trying to cut them down to 2000-2500 words each so I can get them done better. Also, there are only 2 1/2 chapters after this that I have an 'outline' for, so I will hopefully be able to write them easier soon. To be honest, I didn't really use the outline for this chapter, though this one didn't really have much of one.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Next Two Weeks**

The blonde teen gently exhaled. He was on the roof, leaning against the railing and watching the other students scurrying around like ants. His oceanic eyes scanned through the crowds. There was Sora, looking for him. When she didn't find him he knew she would proceed to the roof. He just pushed her out of his thoughts; she wasn't who he was looking for her. The jumpy bluenette with the redhead was Jyou, Izzy talking to him about something. Somewhere in his mind, Matt was awed by the fact he could recognize people from his (almost) aerial perch. He really spent too much time on the roof watching people.

A flash of pink drew his eyes, a feral growl barely escaping his throat. Mimi was sitting with Tai for lunch again. Ever since Art period three days before, the two had spent all their free time together. They spoke as easily as he and Tai used to. _Yeah, used to,_ his mind repeated, the teen bringing one hand up to lace into his yellow hair. You_ messed that up. Besides, they are _dating,_ remember? Like what you and Sora are doing._ A sigh escaped his lips as he brought his other hand back up to his mouth. Inhaling deep and holding the breath, Matt realized it was the second time in the last three days he had gone to the roof. Why was he on the roof, you ask? Well, you're about to find out.

The door burst open and a very pissed brunette exploded through the open portal. Even her skirt seemed to be waving angrily at him. "Matt, you're up here _again?_" Sora seethed, voice dangerously low. The musician flinched, the only sign he acknowledged her entrance. Tai looked so happy (though he couldn't make out facial expressions well). A calloused had reached for his and he snapped it away.

"It doesn't matter, does it, Sora?" he asked, keeping his hand from the tennis player's as she made a second grab for it.

"Matt, I _told_ you to quit that," she growled as he again brought his hand to his mouth. "Why _do_ you smoke, anyway? It's disgusting. And it will ruin your voice. You know that, right?"

The blonde sighed out the harsh fumes and turned back to the crowd below. "I don't smoke that much, Sora," he said quietly. "And I don't really care at the moment if I ruin my voice. I'm not going to follow singing as a career. It's just a hobby, a distraction from school, anyway."

The girl followed her boyfriend's gaze. Spotting the seated pair, she sighed. "I don't like it when you smoke," she stated, voice calm even though the blonde was breathing in the offending gases again. He rested his arms on the railing, slowly breathing out the smoke that hurt his lungs, a wisp of the same gray substance snaking up from the recently lit end of his cigarette. "I worry about you. And you taste bad when I kiss you after you've had one."

"I know," Matt agreed. "I worry about myself, too. But these-" he slightly inclined his cigarette to indicate it "- help me temporarily forget what hurts the most."

Sighing, Sora turned so she was also resting on the railing. She knew the harshness of high school life, and knew Matt did not love her back, at least not the extent that she loved him. To him, she was an escape from the person he did not believe he could have. Whether that was because he saw himself as below that person or for some other reason, she had yet to deduce. But she did know avoiding his best friend was not helping. She wanted to believe it was because Matt felt guilty for going out with her when he did not love her but previously mentioned brunette did, but a part of her knew the true reason. She just wasn't ready to accept it. Yet.

A cough to her side turned her head to face Matt. He had inhaled wrong, or something, but had stopped coughing by the time she looked. "I personally can't stand these either," the blonde confided. "I don't know, maybe I'm getting addicted, but I can't stop. Every now and then I just feel like I need one."

Sora gently touched the musician's shoulder. "That might be part of it, but I don't think it is fully a nicotine addiction or need that keeps bringing you back to them," she stated. "I think it's a need for comfort. Once you have that, I don't think you'll have much of a problem quitting. You just need to right motivation."

"Maybe you're right," he said, taking one last puff of his cigarette before snuffing it out on the cold railing and tossing it in the gutter. "How something that burns my throat and kills my lungs comforts me, I don't know." The smoke stopped trailing from the boy's mouth by the time he turned, a couple tick tacks being thrown into his open mouth by Sora as she sighed. "Thanks," he said, thankful for a reprieve from the smoky taste invading his senses.

"Like hell am I letting you get in trouble for smoking," the brunette girl arrogantly stated. "Now come on. Get to class." Pecking him on the cheek, she ran ahead, one glance over her shoulder showing she didn't trust him to not light another cigarette.

"I never use more than one a day, with two a week as my maximum," he assured her, closing the door to the roof behind him. Sora nodded and rushed down the stairs, leaving Matt to follow at a slower pace.

Matt was sitting next to Izzy when Tai and Mimi entered the room. By silent, mutual agreement, Matt and Mimi had switched desks, making it easier for the two once-best friends to ignore each other. The two teens caught in the middle exchanged worried glances, neither sure how to get their friends back on track again.

As the teacher droned on, the redhead drifted back to his conversation with Jyou during lunch.

_The two boys sat under a tree, enjoying the rare, November sun. It was too cold to not wear layers, which was part of the reason the two were outside; not many people. Tai and Mimi were a little ways away, and from what the chipper girl had told him they weren't 'dating' dating, it was a 'giving Tai dating tips' dating. Izzy could also tell Matt was on the roof again, because Sora just ran towards the school building after asking if they had seen him. He really should quit smoking._

Speaking of which, the faint smell of smoke would leave the blonde by the end of the day.

_"So, was really worried about that test today in Pre-Calculus," the overly nervous bluenette rambled, "but it was actually extremely easy, you know?"_

No, that was too far back. After the talk of classes.

_"Things are breaking apart, aren't they," Jyou asked, drawing the redhead's attention._

_"Excuse me?" he asked._

_"Tai and Matt," the medical aspirant reiterated. "Mimi and I have been good friends since the digital world, but I didn't need her to tell me to figure it out. Do you know what happened?"_

_Closing his laptop, Izzy sighed and leaned back against their shade. "No not, really," the computer geek answered. "I confronted Matt on Tuesday, but he told me it was his problem and he had to deal with it. He got really quiet, well, quieter, though, and wouldn't look at me." Turning to face his anxious friend, he continued, "Things Tai said that he normally would have shrugged off seemed to hit him harder than a hammer, like how he doesn't show his emotions and is always cold."_

_"What are you trying to say?" Jyou asked, eyes betraying his deduction._

_"I'm saying I think Matt thinks of Tai as more than a friend," the redhead confirmed._

_"And he's going out with Sora because?" the older male prompted._

_"A cover-up, maybe," Izzy suggested. "Possibly a form of denial. No, not denial. He knows it. His actions show as much." The teen placed his hand under his chin, trying to think._

_"You know Matt has these feelings?" Jyou asked._

_"Pretty much sure," the boy replied._

_"What about Tai? How does he feel?" the bluenette supplied more questions._

_"I don't know," Izzy admitted. "He can hide his emotions a lot easier than Matt can, mostly because he has more experience with it."_

_"Can we do anything?" the oldest Digidestined asked, concern for the leader (and co-leader) of their group on his face._

_"I don't know," Izzy replied. "But I don't think so."_

Matt was poking his shoulder, asking him about a technique when drawing, pulling the redhead out of his thoughts. There was no point in worrying about something he couldn't affect, and instead focused on the work. The bell rang a few minutes later (his thoughts lasting longer than he thought for he analyzed them too much…) and the four left to their next classes. Mimi ran up to Matt, who greeted her only to act like he wasn't sour.

"Matt, you don't have to avoid Tai, you know," she said as they entered cooking class. "I know you're trying to give us space, but it's not necessary. I know I am going out with Tai, but at the same time I'm not." That got the blonde's attention, and glare. She had better not hurt him… "No, no, nothing like you're thinking. He asked for dating tips, so we're going out for a couple weeks. I don't want to come between you two."

Matt sighed and smiled slightly. "That's not the problem, Mimi. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll make up. Eventually."

A shade of sadness showed up on the girl's face, before she shook it away. "Okay!" she cheered.

Matt was exhausted by the time class ended, but still had to go for band practice. At least it was Friday. Still, it was little reprieve. They had two concerts the weekend after next (**A/N:** in other words, in fifteen days), and they were frantically practicing just in case.

"Matt! Hey, wait up a sec!" a voice behind him yelled.

Turning around, the musician sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, what do you want?"

* * *

Blue eyes stared into blue eyes. Cold water dripped off pale skin into the bowl of the sink. Hands were white-knuckled on the counter as they tried to grip the flat surface.

Matt watched as his reflection in the mirror mimicked his movements, slowly turning the water on and cupping its hands, pooling the liquid in the bowl-shape they created. He closed his eyes as his reflection brought its hands up, but the musician was sure his copy on the other side of the reflective glass was feeling the same chill sensation in its face and fingers. Opening his sapphire orbs again, he watched the last of the water drip from his reflection's blonde hair. His hair.

Things had gotten worse. He hadn't even spoken to Tai in a week. Last Friday, seven days ago, he managed to get a good-bye after second period, but that was all. No words since. He had picked up the phone more than once, but would dial six numbers before hanging up. The distance was having the opposite affect than he hoped for, and now it found him in the bathroom at three in the morning, desperately trying to forget the dream that was the manifestation of his emotions, the one that woke him up prematurely.

_They were talking again, friends, just like before. No hostility or weirdness, which was strange since Matt would still feel the burning in his chest. They laughed, explaining how it was so stupid for them to have avoided each other so adamantly. They were best friends, nothing could tear them apart. "Okay, maybe a chainsaw could, but let's not count that," Tai joked._

_The two friends moved inside as the sun went down and the cold began to sift in. They went to Matt's room in an apartment that was not Matt's apartment, sitting on a bed that was not Matt's bed__**(1)**__. Tai asked the blonde why he had kept avoiding him, and for the first time Matt could not find words._

_Several minutes passed, and Matt could tell the brunette would not wait much longer, blurting out his feelings and trepidations in one breath before backing down. To his surprise, the soccer player laughed. Not a mocking or joking laugh, but a sincere, kind one, like when you realize how stupid you'd been acting._

_"Don't worry," his soothing voice echoed, "We've been worrying about the exact same thing…" A glazed look lurked in the brunette's eyes as he slowly crawled across the bed to Matt. A small wave of fear clawed at the blonde's throat, and he backed up a Tai advanced until he found his back to the wall. "I've been feeling the same thing you have," Tai cooed once he realized he had his prey cornered. Placing his hands on either side of Matt's hips, the athlete leaned forward and captured Matt's lips. A new heat flared into life at the contact, and the musician eagerly returned the kiss. He tried to bring his hands up, but found them pinned by Tai's._

_A small whimper escaped his mouth as Tai pulled away, bringing one hand up to caress Matt's cheek. "We have all the time in the world now," the younger male said, his other hand snaking under the blonde's shirt to knead his pale skin. "But let's enjoy our time now." The hand stopped massaging his stomach and moved a little lower and—_

A new cascade of water washed away the dream. He couldn't have continued it anyway, he woke up at that point. A sense of sadness filled him at not being able to complete his fantasy (no matter how cheesy he made it), but he was also glad. Glad he wouldn't have to remember the experience was only a dream, and glad to not defile the one person he cared most about.

Drying his face on a towel, Matt left the bathroom and made his way into the kitchen. Four-twenty-two, he didn't want to go to bed. So instead, he sat at the table and rested his head on it. And that's where his dad found him over an hour later.

"Something wrong, Matt?" the older man asked. When no reply came, he gently tapped the table next to the sleeping teen, causing him to stir. "Get up, Matt. You need to get ready for school."

Cobalt eyes coming into focus, he blinked at his dad a second before standing. "Guess I dozed off," he yawned, making his way to his bedroom to change.

* * *

The brunette to his right continued to ramble on about something. "Sora, I'm tired this morning," Matt complained. "Can you keep it down?"

"Up all night thinking about me?" the girl chimed, turning to smile at her boyfriend. He was too distracted (and tired) to see the false edge to her smile and the search in her eyes.

"No," he said flatly, sighing loudly. "Trying not to think," he corrected.

"Of Tai?" Sora asked, the blonde teen stopping in his tracks to look at her. "You two still fighting, huh?" The sigh he gave her was all the reply she needed. "You think of him more than you think of me," she sadly said, bringing a hand up to caress his cheek.

The way dream Tai did the same thing came to Matt's mind and he shied away from the touch. "It's nothing like that, Sora," he tried to sound confident. To accentuate his point, he caught her hand affectionately in his and slowly leaned towards her.

They were a few centimeters apart when the other brunette appeared in his mind. He jerked away, breath hitching in his throat. "Matt?" the tennis player worriedly questioned.

"Nothing, sorry," he quickly replied, turning and starting down the sidewalk again. Several moments of silence followed, with Sora nervously chewing on her lower lip. "I… I think we should tell the others," the blonde stated solemnly. "About us. I know they probably already know, but we might as well say it for those who might not have figured it out."

"Alright," came the simple reply.

* * *

Lunch found the Digidestined all together again. Tai sat off to the side, him and Mimi having 'broke up' the previous class period. Their fake dating had ended and Mimi was now going to pursue the one she wanted, but she wished Tai luck.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Matt stood, drawing the group's attention. "I/m pretty sure you all have already figured it out," he started, "but me and Sora have been going out for two weeks now. Just thought I should actually come out and say it."

A chorus of 'congratulations' and 'cool' rang through the air (Daisuke actually hadn't realized it…), but one person stood out from the rest. And stood up. And walked away. Matt watched his once-best friend walk off, and only Sora seemed to notice his grief.

* * *

**(1)** Okay, you know those dreams where you are somewhere that you know, yet it is not the place you know, but in the dream you know it? That is where he was in his dream. An apartment he recognized as his apartment, yet it wasn't the apartment he was living in.

Okay, I actually have **Chapter 7: Walking by Your Window** all written out. No, you can't have it now, you have to wait for two weeks for it. But I can tell you all that chapter 8 is the one I am pretty sure everyone reading this is waiting for. I hope you can wait a month for it, and sorry I take so long to update. Also note that I have finals next week, so I might be a day or two late posting up teh next chapter, because I write the one after next before I post the next.

Ja ne~


	8. Chapter 7: Walking by Your Window

Okay, I don't have an excuse for the lateness of this chapter. The truth is that I was just lazy. I also just got a DS Lite and I have over 100 hours on my Pokemon Platinum game, which is VERY distracting, and about 40 hours on Dragon Quest IV. So yeah, games took over... I will hopefully do better now that strawberry season has started. By working, I get motivated to do things more active or "work-like" than normal. Anyway, for those of you who might have been afraid I wasn't going to finish, I will say this: If I ever plan to stop writing a fic permenantly, I will type out a summary of what I was planning for the rest of the story, so you aren't left wondering what was going to happen. I hate it when people do that, so I won't. I will also be starting college on July 13, so I might slow down more at that time. Wish me luck!

Sadly, I don't have Chapter 8 written yet. I am actually trying to find a way to write it and not make it sound corny. Having a bit of trouble with that. I do have the first couple paragraphs written up, though, for an idea popped into my head and I had to get it down before I forgot it. It should-Key work should-get easier once I get past this chapter.

Enjoy the chapter!

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Walking by Your Window**

Tai held a hand over his mouth to contain his sobs, but could do nothing about the tears streaming down his cheeks. Why did Matt have to look like that? Why did he have to happily turn to face him, like he was expecting Tai to congratulate him, too? Could he not see how much it hurt the brunette?

Wrestling with the doorknob, it took Tai about a minute to remember the door was locked, and he shoved his hand into his pocket to find it. For once, he actually remembered it (more like Kari brought it to him), but the blurring of his sight made the athlete miss the keyhole the first time. Opening the door and stumbling inside, he finally let himself cry. Sobs echoed through the house, alerting the digimon to his presence.

"Tai?" Agumon questioned from a little ways down the hall. "Tai, what's wrong? What are you doing home? Shouldn't you be in school?" The orange dinosaur reached towards his human partner, only to have his clawed hand weakly batted away.

"I'm okay, buddy," the teen replied, slowly standing up. "I'm just not feeling well," he lied, making his way upstairs and to his room, closing the door behind him.

"Umph." Agumon ran into the door as Tai closed it. "Tai, what'd you do that for?" the digimon said indignantly from the floor.

A click was heard as the door was locked, followed by the soccer player's hollowed voice. "I don't want you to catch it, too," came the lame response. Behind the door a stereo could be heard coming to life. Lyrics drifted through the wooden barrier, an angel's voice that could only belong to a specific blonde Tai could not get out of his mind.

A tanned hand slowly turned a picture frame over, hiding the smiling faces in the wood of his desk. His finger hovered over the stop—then the eject—button on his stereo, but didn't press either. Matt's words flowed through his skull, wrecking havoc on his senses, hurting his eyes until they teared up again. Wiping them away on one sleeve, he quickly retrieved his phone from the trappings of his pocket. Tai flipped through the folders, opening pictures to scan through the images he'd received of his best friend. It wasn't difficult to select all the files, but as his thumb hovered over the okay button to delete them, he hesitated until he finally pressed back and closed the device. Fresh tears falling down his face, the brunette collapsed onto his bed, letting the blaring music overpower his hectic thoughts.

"Tai?" the soft voice could not break through the instrumental cords and sweet lyrics. Agumon stared sadly at his partner's door, shoulders slumping as he curled up into a small ball. "I'll be here waiting for you once you're ready to talk…" the dinosaur-like creature mumbled, large green eyes never leaving the closed portal.

That was where Kari found him when Gatomon drug her upstairs. "Agumon, what's wrong?" she asked, slowly walking over to the ball of living data. Stopping next to him, she looked curiously at the door that seemed to have gained an incredible musical talent.

"I'm sure Tai will come out soon," her brother's digimon answered, his upper jaw moving as he spoke (since his lower jaw was on the floor), but the rest of his body remaining still.

"He's been like that since Tai locked himself in there," Gatomon stated. "I tried to get him up, but he refused to. Something about Tai being hurt and having to help him."

Kari looked sympathetically at her brother's faithful companion, understanding in her chocolate eyes. "Agumon, you should at least come down and get something to eat," she said, placing a hand under his arm to help him up.

Shaking his head (the most movement he's had in a couple hours), he replied, "No, that's alright. Tai will come out soon, then We'll both go down and eat." The brunette girl looked forlornly between the digimon and Tai's door, doubting Agumon's words. Tai was seriously upset, and she knew he had enough junk food stashed away to last him a couple weeks. He also had a connecting bathroom to his room. He could be in there a long time.

* * *

Matt didn't think much of Tai's absence the first day. Even the bumbling idiot got sick, so why should he worry when the athlete probably only had a mild cold? So as Monday dragged on, the musician kept chanting that over and over in his head while periodically sending glances to his (ex?)friend's empty seat.

Tuesday found that same seat mysteriously vacated, Matt altering his thoughts to a little-more-than-mild cold keeping Tai bedridden for two days. He kept informing himself the brunette would be back the next day.

Wednesday brought worry on its winds. _What if Tai is really sick?_ The blonde's mind raced. _He could be down with pneumonia in this weather! _A chill wind blew into him, racking his body with shivers. _Or maybe he's avoiding me._ The thought was not a pleasant one. Not even when they hadn't gotten along in the Digiworld had Tai avoided him. For him to suddenly start now, when they were (ex?)best friends, could only mean… _The girl he likes in Sora?_

"Matt, you need to eat," came the nagging voice. Looking completely bored and lifeless, the blonde singer nudges his spinach around his plate. Not a bite of the not-so-delectable-looking meal had been touched, unless you count the mobile spinach glob.

"I'm not hungry," he replied, his tone lacking energy.

"You need to eat, though," the female voice pleaded. "You have a gig tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, too. You aren't in any condition to sing like that, Matt."

"I told you I'm not hungry, Sora!" Matt snapped, standing suddenly and stalking over to the trash can. Angrily, as if the contents of his plate had ticked him of and not his girlfriend, he scrapped the perfectly good(?) food into the garbage. "I'll see you in class Izzy," he muttered, stalking to the other side of the cafeteria, to the door.

"Oh no you don't," the enraged tennis player steamed, mimicking the blonde's actions and following him, leaving a very confused table of friends behind. As far as they knew, the two were a happy couple.

"What do you think happened?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know," Mimi replied. "Sora hasn't told me of any problems with their relationship."

Slamming the door to the roof open, Sora stomped over to her boyfriend. "Nu-uh, Matt," she growled, yanking the barely lit cigarette from his fingers. Glaring at him, she snuffed it out on the railing and waved it in his face before throwing it in the gutter.

"Hey!" the singer complained as his escape was stolen from his fingers. He watched the ruined cigarette fall and growled, matching Sora's glare with his icy blue one. "That was mine! What did you do that for?" he asked, a low growl coat tailing his words. He was anxious, tired, and felt a hole burning in his chest. And Sora just snuffed out his salvation.

"Those things will kill you," she protested, standing up to the teenager who seemed to have completely changed over the last week. "You don't need smoke in your lungs, you need food in your stomach," she said, quelling her anger and his. Wrapping her arms around Matt's waist, she added, "You're skinnier than normal, and it worries me." It did not escape her notice that he did not hug her back, and that his eyes were affixed in the direction of Tai's house. Sighing, Sora closed her eyes against the truth for a second longer before she eased the thought into her mind. Matt's love was for someone else.

* * *

The brunette slowly, quietly opened his door. His eyes fell on the unconscious Koromon in the hallway, having waited so love without food or sleep that it de-digivolved and passed out. "I'm sorry, Koromon," he whispered, sneaking down to the kitchen. His hands found boxes of cereal and packages of batteries**(1)**, the teen holding them close to his chest as he silently made his way back upstairs. The slight click of his door awoke Gatomon in Kari's room, the feline digimon sleepily walking into the hall to where the music no longer emanated from the male's room.

"Tai, are you going to come out now?" she asked, waiting for an answer but not receiving one. "I know you can hear me, Tai, so stop acting like you can't."

The soccer player looked to his locked door and the voice issuing through it. Softly shaking his head he returned to his task of stuffing his bag full of food and clothes. Several items were thrown aside for more conventional ones until he finally lay down for one last nap. He didn't know where he would go or how long he'd be gone. He did know he would come back, he just needed to get out of there. To get some fresh air. To clear his head.

* * *

"Ah, hot," the musician gasped, dropping the slice of pizza back into the box and blowing on his fingers. Glaring at the three-meat pizza, he picked up the slice again and dropped it onto a paper plate, smiling triumphantly. He didn't mind acting like an idiot when no one was home to see him do so. Still, looking at the box of medium sized pizza, he sighed. "How am I supposed to eat all of this?" he asked. "I normally invite Tai over to eat most of it for me… Tai…" Closing his eyes to stop the fresh flood of tears threatening to leak out, the distraught singer sat down in one of the hard chairs in the dining room. It only took a minute for him to push his nostalgia and depression away. "Hot!" he yelped again, dropping the still-too-warm-to-eat pizza for a third time.

The television clicked on, flipping through the channels until it stopped on the news. A very bored looking Matt sat the remote next to the cardboard box containing food of a similar substance (only edible) before taking his plate again. Cautiously, he picked up the slice, finding it cool enough this time, and tentatively taking a small bite. It was warm, but not scorching.

"Tomorrow will be overcast most of the day with periodic sun breaks," the weather man stated, pointing to the day on the background labeled Saturday. "Sunday will see heavy showers with periodic sun breaks starting around noon, with a chance of showers before then."

"Great," the blonde muttered, taking another bite of pizza. "My concert is outside on Sunday," he complained. Leaning back agitatedly, Matt grabbed the remote and shut the television off. His fans would have to suffer through a bit of rain. Nothing he could do about it, after all.

Finishing his slice of pizza, he turned back to the almost full box and sighed at the memories of his best friend. "Something wrong, Matt?" the wolf cub-like digimon asked as he entered the room.

"Not really. Pizza?" Matt asked.

"Oh boy! Would I love some!" Gabumon enthusiastically said.

Despite the single slice of pizza being the only thing he had eaten the entire day, Matt could not make himself have anymore. After Gabumon ate his three pieces, the singer closed the box and put the rest, a little over half, into the fridge. "Matt, you aren't going to have anymore?" came his companion's quiet voice.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Matt replied. "I think I'm going to try and get some sleep," he stated, walking down the hall to his room. Rubbing tired eyes, he attempted to drift off, but sleep would not overcome him and he tossed and turned for about an hour before finally getting up and walking over to his guitar. Strumming a couple cords, the musician took a seat on the windowsill. Gazing out the window, he tried to find inspiration.

A single figure caught his attention. It wore a long blue coat with yellow prints towards the bottom. The fluffy mob of brunette hair could not be mistaken. Chocolate eyes locked with crystalline ones for a minute before the contact was broken by the figure that was unmistakably Tai breaking into a sudden sprint.

"Hey!" Matt tried to call through the window. Slamming the door open, the blonde ran into the living room, startling Gabumon as he yanked open the apartment door and rushed out without even putting his shoes on. Skipping right passed the elevator, Matt practically leapt down the stairs. Making it to the lobby, he swung the doors open and frantically glanced around the street. "Tai! Tai!" he yelled, ignoring the water soaking through his socks.

"Matt, get back inside before you catch a cold," Gabumon said, grabbing his human partner's arm. A drop of water fell onto his nose, and the digimon looked up to see sapphires fall from his friend's oceanic eyes. "Don't cry, Matt," he tried to comfort the teenager. "Whatever is wrong, I'm sure it will get better."

* * *

Tai leaned against a wall, his mind desperately trying to block out the images. Tears could blur the physical vision, but such things could not distract the mind's eye. For the last several days he had tried to not think of a certain, angelic (in his eyes, at least) male, yet his actions achieved the exact opposite. He could not delete his photos and kept Matt's CD playing the entire time, and now he had specifically detoured to go by his best friend's apartment. His heart frantically beat to escape his chest and run back to the blonde, but the words were barrier enough to contain it. _"I'm pretty sure you all have already figured it out, but me and Sora have been going out for two weeks now. Just thought I should actually come out and say it."_ Why did he have to sound so happy?

Regaining control of his emotions, the athlete looked back towards his home, and Matt, one last time before continuing on his way. "Won't do to cry over it," he told himself. "Not like you can do anything about it."

* * *

Matt barely had time to breath on Saturday, let along think about why Tai was outside his window the previous night. Sora woke him early and forced a breakfast down his throat. "You will need the energy today or you really will collapse," she said as he tried to push away his half-cleaned plate. Grudgingly, he finished the rest of the meal before Sora drug him away for one of several interview sessions. Between the interviews, concert, eating, and autograph sessions, by the time Matt got home the only thing he could think about was sleep.

"Matt, you need to have some dinner," Sora called, entering the musician's room. (**A/N:** Sora would make a very good manager, XD) She quieted immediately, spotting the sleeping boy curled up into a blue-furred digimon. Smiling, she backed out of the room silently. "Good night, Matt," she whispered before closing the door, making her way back to the kitchen to put away the leftovers.

Sunday came all too quickly to the exhausted singer. Had he not been dealing with starvation and emotional stress, he might have been okay. Now, though, he really needed to sleep for another couple years. "Tai, stop it," he groggily complained as Sora hit him with a pillow. "Go away. I'm still tired."

"Matt, I'm not Tai," the girl said. "Now get up!"

"Nnn… Sora? Wasn't Tai here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.

"No, he wasn't, Matt," the tennis player replied. "You haven't spoken to Tai in three weeks."

"No, he was here…" Matt insisted, his half-asleep state not thinking properly. "He was just here a second ago. We were playing games like we always do, but then he said I'm just a friend…" Tears formed in the teenager's eyes. "Why can we only be friends? Can he not see how much I love him?"

Sora held in a breath for a second, realizing Matt wasn't even half-awake to be telling her this. "Matt, hurry and wake up," she said sadly, walking out of the room. _You know this was true,_ she told herself. _But I guess it doesn't make it hurt any less._

Matt didn't seem to remember talking to her when he came out of his room. Eating a small breakfast, he went back to his room to get ready, because everybody knows it takes Matt at least two hours to get ready. "Hey, I think I forgot something back at your apartment," Sora said, rummaging through her purse. "I'll just run back and get it. Don't wait up. I'll be at the concert!" She left so fast she didn't see the blonde's confused expression.

Taking a deep breath, she timidly knocked on the door. Shifting nervously as the seconds ticked by, she began to wonder if anyone was home. Knocking a second time, she finally heard a soft voice. "Coming, coming," it said. Swinging open, Sora was greeted by the younger brunette. "Sora, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Matt's concert?" Kari asked.

"I need to talk to Tai," Sora stated.

"Tai hasn't wanted to talk to anyone. He's even locked Koromon out," the girl said.

"I think I can get him out," Sora confidently said. Taking her shoes off, Sora quickly climbed the stairs, skipping every other one. Koromon turned slightly to regard her. Almost angrily, she stalked over to the door and loudly rapped on it. "Tai, open this door!" she yelled, startling the pink ball next to her.

"He won't answer," Koromon sighed, and sure enough, no noise issued from the other side.

"Matt needs you Tai!" she shouted, banging on the door again. "He's deteriorating. And there's nothing I can do about it! Don't you get it, Tai? You mean more to him than I do!" Silence again. "Answer me, Taichi Kamiya!" Again, silence. "Are you going to leave your best friend like that?" Fear began to well up in her as the silence ensued. Taking a step back, sweat forming on her brow, she warned, "I'm breaking the door down." A swift kick, one she learned in a martial arts class she took for self defense (for incase she didn't have a tennis racket handy), broke the lock, the door swinging in to an empty room.

"Tai!" Kari yelled.

"Oh, no…" Sora breathed.

* * *

"Matt!" Sora yelled as Kari, who was just behind her, did. "Wou neud ta belig promle!" The two shouted different sentences, the words jumbling together.

Head suddenly spinning, Matt held up a hand to silence them and said, "Okay, slow down. One at a time."

"We have a big problem!" Sora started.

"You need to help me!" Kari cut in.

"Tai's missing!" they both finished.

The musician felt his heart stop. "G-gone?" he asked. "What do you mean missing? For how long?"

"I don't know," Kari said, barely stopping herself from crying. "He could have a week on us. That's how long it has been since anyone's seen him." Matt kneeled down and pulled the smaller brunette into his arms.

A thought suddenly came back to him. "I saw Tai," he said.

"Matt, that was a dream," Sora sighed.

"What are you talking about?" the blonde asked. "I saw Tai on Friday."

"Oh… Forget I said anything," Sora replied, laughing nervously.

Had things not been so serious, he would not have let it drop, but he had more important matters to deal with at the moment. "Anyway, I saw him walk by my window," Matt continued. "But he ran off. I guess I just didn't think much of it before because I barely had time to sleep, let alone think." Squeezing his eyes shut, Matt barely held back his emotions. _If only I had paid more attention!_ "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Friday before last, at lunch," Kari said, the musician barely registering that was when he told everyone about him and Sora. "He locked himself in his room once he got home." She looked up pleadingly, hopefully at the boy who could once claim to be her brother's best friend. "He came to see you. Do you know where he might have gone?"

The singer nervously bit his lower lip. Yes, he had an idea, but he had to be on stage in five minutes. And… it wasn't a place he wanted to bring other people. A firm grip pulled him away from Kari, who instead buried her face in TK's shirt. Since when had the others gotten there? "You know, don't you?" Sora asked whisperingly as she pulled Matt out of the huge group. He did not look at him, only nodded his head. He heard her sigh. "I don't think we're working," she began. "No, I know we aren't. Matt, you don't love me, so I'm breaking it off. Go find him. Only you can. Go to the one you truly care about."

Surprisingly, Matt wasn't too surprised Sora had figured it out. She was the holder of the Crest of Love, for one, and for two, besides Izzy, she was the smartest out of the group. Izzy's intelligence went to machines, though, and hers to people.

A pale hand wiped away her tears gently. "Sora, I'm sorry. And thank you," he whispered, leaning forward and giving her the first real kiss of their relationship, and it was a good-bye kiss on the forehead. Looking over his shoulder to make sure the others were sufficiently distracted, he took off.

* * *

**(1)** The batteries are for flashligth and a discman Tai is bringing. And in our house, the batteries are kept in the utility room, which is right next to the kitchen, so I just kept that basic plan for Tai's house.

Again, sorry for my tardiness. I will try to not skip passed so much time next time...


	9. Chapter 8: The Cave II

Okay, the sad truth of it is, I was lazy. I had 2 weeks before college to get this up, and I didn't. I am going t college now, so there could be anywhere between 2 weeks and 2-3 months between updates. I will try and get them up decently fast, but if homework gets in the way, I may have to work it around my schedule, which would mean between my terms. I hope you can bear with this for me, for college is a lot different than high school.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Cave II**

He checked his watch for the umpteenth time, finding the concert should have started over two hours prior. He should be sitting back in a comfy chair by now, lazily signing autographs and munching on a granola bar, resting after the roar of the crowds and the ring of the speakers. He should be somewhere else. But he was somewhere much more important. He was on a bus. But not just any bus. He was on a bus to a place from his past.

To say he hoped for the best was wrong. Matt hoped for anything but the worst. He would accept the answer right before the edge, the lowest score above an F, he'd even be glad to walk through hell just as long as Tai was there. It was the only place he could think of that the brunette would run to. Only he and Matt knew of its existence.

Flashing three-eighteen, Matt replaced his hand at his side. _Could this thing move any slower?_ he mentally complained, knuckles white from gripping the ring too tightly. Water droplets from the downpour minutes ago still clung to the windows, shimmering in the sunlight during the brief intermission from the rain. Almost transfixed, the blonde rockstar watched them slide down the slick glass, going over in his head what he would say once he saw the object of his affection. Despite planning out the entire speech in his head, he knew it would be useless once he got there; he would forget the whole thing.

The bus jolted to a stop, the station name ringing through the hollowed, metal shell. Matt jumped and quickly pushed his way towards the open doors, receiving several not-so-pleasant remarks from people he bumped into. He didn't care. Desperation and adrenaline coursed through his veins as he sped away, seeking that all too familiar path from a Summer Camp several years before. An ounce of dread crept into his stomach, imbedding itself in the soft tissues and steadily growing until it weighed pounds. No matter how much he wanted to see Tai, he feared the outcome.

Watching his right, Matt finally saw through the barely perceivable gap in the trees, that had grow smaller since he was a kid, to his destination. The place where it all started. Shakily gripping the trees for support, Matt carefully started down the slight incline. He had learned the first time not to run down for there was an unseen, but shallow, river at the bottom. Every step got him closer and closer to the natural stone formation. From experience he knew it was about ten meters deep and several high, despite the relatively small entrance. The lip on the entrance made it pretty much just high enough for him to walk through without ducking. It also severely limited visibility about a meter in, allowing Tai to spot him way before he got close enough to see the other male.

"Tai!" Matt yelled, stopping just inside the dimly lit cave. "Tai, are you here? Please answer me." Silence greeted him like a cold coat. Fear began to grow next to the doubt in his stomach. _Is Tai not here? No! I can't think like that! He has to be here!_ "Tai!" he yelled again, louder than the first time.

Two steps in he had to stop and let his eyes adjust. Shadowy outlines slowly came into focus as the light outside dimmed, removing the bright glare. A soft pitter-patter sounded behind him, the singer jumping and turning to see that the rain had returned. Maybe luck was on his side. Had he been a couple minutes later he would have been caught in the torrential storm. Turning back to his task, though, he felt his hope flee. Visibility was next to none in the cold interior. Memory reminded him of the uneven surface and many strewn boulders. A single bad step could result in a sprained ankle or a concussion (if he hit his head hard enough), and no one knew where he was. Add to that the fact that he and Tai used to play hide-and-seek here, and Tai always won, and it wasn't hard to understand why Matt was discouraged. With the infinite hiding places, how was he to find the one Tai was in? And if he could still fit in that one Matt could never find, the task would be impossible.

Containing the despairing sigh, the musician called again, "Tai!" Scraping his shoe on the cave floor, searching for hidden crevices or rocks that could trip him, he made his way over to the stone wall. Pale hands mapped out the cold surface, sending shivers down Matt's back. _I'll probably catch a cold again,_ he though absently. Kari's crying face and the knowledge he had caused her pain haunted him, making his physical condition seemingly unimportant. "Tai, please come out! I need to talk to you!"

The brunette pushed farther back into his barely noticeable hole. In a panic, he had scrunched himself into there as he saw his secret desire approach, and now he found the tight space extremely uncomfortable. He was everything but stuck, with a kink in neck so he could watch the dark, moving shadow on the black landscape and an itch just where he couldn't reach it. Matt's soft voice hurt his ears as he frantically called out his name, begging and pleading for him to show himself. All he wanted to do was rush out from his hiding place and hold onto Matt for dear life. He ached to feel those velvet lips on his again, to pull the blonde's lean body to his and relish in the chaste contact. It wasn't even the guilty desire to feel flesh on flesh, to lay his best friend (if he could still call him that) down on a soft bed to gently, passionately take him. All Tai wanted was to have Matt in his arms and know they could take it slow until they both were ready to explore to new boundaries.

But he couldn't.

Tears collected solemnly in a small indent in Tai's alcove, a slight relief to his burning heart. He couldn't hold Matt for Matt held another. A girl. A girl Tai had become extremely jealous of to the point of hatred.

"Taichi!" the musician shouted, still feeling his way along the wall and floor. The soccer player winced as the dark figure clearly stumbled. "I don't like this game anymore, Tai," he cried, unable to hold in the entirety of his emotions. He stopped for a second to cough harshly, then began moving again, calling for Tai to stop hiding.

Tai was surprised Matt didn't hear him gasp. The blonde was directly in front of him when he fell, scraping his knee on the hard ground. "Ow…" Matt whined, stopping to nurse his sore knee. Biting his lower lip against the onslaught of fresh tears, Matt stood up again and continued his search. Even if he hadn't fallen, Tai doubted he would have been found, the entrance to his hiding spot was too high. So when Matt stood, Tai could clearly see the outline of his head. Unfortunately, in the dark he could not see the disheartened expression.

Another shout echoed through the cave, attacking Tai. It hurt more and more each time, for he felt the edge of desperation creep more and more in the voice made for angelic notes. He could only hope that Matt would give up and go home soon.

Tai had no such luck, and for four hours**(1)** he had to suffer through the insistent calls of his crush, who was currently seated on a small boulder off to one side of the entrance. Hard coughs racked his body, accentuated by the periodic flashes of lightning. "Ow…" Matt breathed when his lungs finally calmed down. His knee throbbed painfully and even his breathing came out hoarse. "Tai, please come out," he rasped as loud as he could.

Silence greeted him, broken only by his ragged breathing and quiet coughs. Eyes downcast, his hope finally deflated. _He's not here,_ the musician's mind mused. He chuckled defeatedly and got up to leave.

A sneeze sounded through the cave, Matt spinning so fast his knee almost gave out. "Shit!" he heard the whispered word, a new weight settling in his heart. Tai shuffled slightly, trying to disappear into the wall behind him. His heart rate increased, expecting Matt to come searching again.

The blonde teenager didn't move. "Tai, I know you can hear me," he choked out, tears of sorrow leaking down his pale cheeks. A single thought replayed in his head, _He was here the whole time and didn't come out._ "Look, I… I can understand, if you'd rather not see me again. But I'm not the only one you're hurting. The others are worried about you, too." He hung his head, saddened that his next words might be the ones that brought Tai home. "Kari was crying as I left." Matt could almost hear Tai stiffen. "So please come back. For her, at least."

The dark figure turned as if to leave, then stopped. The brunette held his breath, waiting for the next bomb Matt would drop on him. "Sora broke up with me," he said solemnly. "So she's available. Funny," he chuckled, "but I don't think I should be surprised that she figured it out. You have the right to know, too, since it involves you." Matt paused, taking a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself. Time seemed to slow as his courage fled him, silky tears falling off his chin to land on the cave floor with a _Tink! _that melded with the pouring rain.

"I'm in love with you."

Matt was just as surprised that he got it out as Tai was that he had said it. He had blurted it out getting it passed his lips before his mind could silence them. Shock paralyzed the athlete, only allowing him to gape in surprise.

Lightning again illuminated the blonde's body to show it shaking, uncontrollably, but not too hard. He chuckled again, a sad one with a hint of irony. "It's disgusting, I know," he said, choking on his emotions. "And what's worse is that I used Sora. I tried to convince myself that I wasn't gay,-" he tightly hugged his shoulders against the ensuing sobs "-that I wasn't in love with you. That I could get over you…"

Fear lit up in Tai's chocolate eyes as he tried to move and found he couldn't. Wriggling and twisting, he slowly began to dislodge himself from his self-inflicted prison.

"But I can't," Matt continued. "I tried, and I couldn't. I kissed you selfishly, even though I didn't understand it at the time, and now I can't forget it." He let out a ragged breath, made even more shaky by the sobs welling up in his throat. _As much as it hurts to say this, I have to. I can't be selfish anymore, and if it will get Tai back to the others, it's worth it._ "I can understand if you would like me to leave you alone now, and I will honor your wishes."

Tai reached the edge and began easing himself out of the alcove. His mind was racing too fast, completely skipping over his voice in his haste to stop the other male.

"It shouldn't be difficult to avoid you. The semester's almost over and I'll be able to switch my classes around." He waited for several seconds, and was no response was offered, he finished, "I guess this is good-bye." _I'll see you at school, even if you won't see me, _he added to himself.

Every step he took was heavy as he walked away from the one thing, the one person, he wanted most. The wall of water drew closer and closer, his contained sorrow finally showing through the mask of desperation he had constructed.

The rain was so loud he couldn't hear them until they were right behind him; the distinct sound of footsteps. By the time he did hear them, it was too late to escape the arms encompassing him in an embrace. His eyes opened wide, the only thing he managed to utter being, "Tai?"

The soccer player buried his face in the small of Matt's back. "Wait, don't go," the brunette mumbled, finally finding his voice. At Matt's slight shifting, he increased his grip, fearful the singer was trying to get away.

"T-Tai…" Matt gasped, squirming more relentlessly. "I c-can't breathe…"

Over-reacting, Tai pulled away too strongly. Suddenly free of Tai's grasp, Matt fell to his hands and knees, and into another coughing fit. Trying to be gentler this time, Tai knelt down and tenderly drew circles on the blonde's back. "I'm sorry…" he cooed worriedly, knowing he was responsible for the other male's condition. By continuing to hide, he had let the musician run down his voice and kept him out in the cold.

As Matt's wheezing began to lessen, Tai guided him up the slight incline and farther into the cave, away from the damaging rain. A moment of silence passed, with only their anxious breathing filling the gap, before the brunette tentatively asked, "Did you really mean what you said? About being in love with me?"

He turned to face the dark spot he knew to be Tai, swallowing the terrified lump in his throat. "Yeah," he whispered, voice raspy.

He did not expect the other boy to laugh, and he shrunk back slightly in humiliation. Noticing the blonde cower, Tai's laughter ceased and he reached out to grasp Matt's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I just find it kind of funny. We are too in sync, for we both thought the same thing." Lightning temporarily revealed the singer's face, a look of utter hope anxiety dusty his features. He felt strong hands grip either side of his head and grew increasingly nervous. "Because I didn't think I could have you either." With that said, Tai leaned forward until he met up with Matt.

He pulled back a moment later as melodic (although worn) laughter echoed against the stone walls. Tai could feel his cheeks heating up and was extremely thankful for the darkness. "Which one are you laughing at?" he sheepishly asked.

"Both," Matt replied, calming his laughter before his made him hack up his lungs again. For those of you wondering, this is what 'both' is. For one, Tai just spewed an extremely cheesy line (Taichi: And whose fault is that, authoress?). The second thing is, Tai _meant_ to kiss Matt, but in the dark missed and landed above his mouth, almost in his nose.

Seriousness returned to them as Matt brought up their dilemma. "So… you're also gay, Tai?" he asked.

"And also in love with you," the brunette added, hoping the cheesiness of it would award him another laugh from the boy he was slowly positioning his arms around. He got a chuckle.

"But I'm not in love with me," Matt corrected, leaning in towards Tai willingly.

The athlete smirked. "Could have fooled me, what with how long you stand in front of a mirror," he grinned, even though the blonde could not see him.

"Hey-" Matt protested, but was silenced by a thumb running over his lips, followed by a mouth capturing them. Sensations identical to, only stronger than, the ones that assaulted him the first time he discovered he was gay rushed back to him, and he eagerly leaned into it. A pair of arms hugged him tightly, forcing his body close to the other male he would more than willingly approach. His own hands, previously limp at his sides, snaked their way under Tai's arms to lie vertically on the athlete's shoulder blades.

A shiver broke them apart, followed by a reluctant yawn. "You're cold," Tai muttered. "And tired."

He went to retrieve his bag as Matt sleepily stated, "I don't want to go through the rain…"

Returning with something in his arms, Tai led Matt over to a wall a ways inside the cave. "I don't think one more night will matter," he mumbled, pulling Matt onto his shoulder and throwing the blanket over them. Burying his face in Matt's golden locks, he breathed in his boyfriend's scent before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**(1)** There are a lot of crevices to check and he lost track of time and didn't want to believe Tai wasn't there.

I have actually had this typed up on my computer for over a week now, and was trying to get myself to type up the other 2 before I posted. I guess I won't be updating together anymore...


	10. Chapter 9: Waking up Beside You

Yay, I'm halfway through this term in college. I have finally found a decent system to do my writings. I always have extra time in classes, and I utilize that time to write the chapters. Then I can get it typed up in my computer class because I already know the stuff we're doing and get it done really quickly. Though Because this chapter is longer I couldn't quite type it all up in one class, so I had to type the last page at home. Oh well. Enjoy!

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Waking up Beside You**

The first thing he realized was how cold his feet were. Grumbling slightly, he tucked his legs up, pulling his feet towards the warmth. They had been out in the cold so long, though, that it didn't make much of a difference. He wanted to go back to sleep, but unfortunately moving just seemed to wake him up more.

As he was slowly pulled out of his slumber, Matt started to notice other things as well. There was an annoying kink in his neck, but a weight on his head prevented him from moving it out. He also recognized the feeling of some sort of cage wrapped around him. Struggling slightly but still not opening his eyes, he found the bars unmoving. Something brushed up against his nose in his struggles, causing him to sneeze. Whining slightly at the soreness in his throat, he curled up into whatever he was laying on, which, by the way, was warm.

Between the kink, cold feet, sore throat, and sneezing, he finally gave up on sleep and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the plush blanket that had tickled his nose. His groggy mind had yet to comprehend the dark gray wall opposite him. Too tired to care, he again tried to struggle free. His mind finally registered he was in a cave, so the object to his left that he was leaning on must be a rock.

So, obviously, he yelped when the "rock" began to move and hug him tighter. The weight on his head moved and he took that opportunity to free his neck from the kink. Turning to the moving boulder, he was surprised to see Tai and not some living rock elemental bent on crushing him. More surprising even was the pair of lips that found his. He suddenly recalled the events of the previous night, the relentless search, the impromptu confession, the warm embrace, the sweet, sweet kiss… His cheeks flushed, body paralyzed and unable to respond to the pressure on his lips.

Tai pulled back, hurt in his eyes. That is, until he saw the other male's face. It was hard to not tell that Matt had frozen, a state he fell into when deeply embarrassed. A broad smile spread on his face as he lunged forward, effectively tackling his best friend. "T-Tai!" Matt gasped, unfreezing and catching himself harshly on his elbows, scrapping them on the rough surface. A mouth latched onto his throat, lapping at the pale skin with its tongue and sucking gently. Mat might have turned a shade deeper, if possible, when he realized just _what_ Tai was doing to his neck. A thin hand pushed against the clothed, tan chest, attempting to dislodge the other teen before any real damage would be done. "Tai! St-stop it! T-Tai!"

Disappointed in the interruption, Tai reluctantly gave in and released his victim, sitting up slightly to look at the barely perceivable mark. "Why's you do that, Yamato?" he whined, glaring disapprovingly at the blonde.

"T-Tai, we can't do things like that!" the musician worriedly stated, switching which hand was supporting him so he could cover the slightly formed hickey.

"I don't see what the problem is, Yamato," Tai sighed exasperatedly. "Guys do this type of things with other guys all the time." He tried to lean forward and place a kiss on Matt's lips, but the blonde teenager stopped him with his elbow.

"We aren't 'guys,' Tai," Matt nervously said. The soccer player rolled his eyes, placing a hand between Matt's legs to show he very much was male. The rock star hit his hand away, revealing the hickey that had darkened a bit by now. "You know what I mean!" he snapped, hiding the purple-ish mark again. "We aren't just 'guys,' we are Tai and Matt. It's not appropriate because-"

"Why, Yamato?" Tai interrupted heatedly, forcefully pushing on Matt's shoulders. He felt his elbow starting to give and he reluctantly lowered himself to the hard, stone floor so as to not harshly fall later. "Why can't we? I mean, couples do this all the time, straight and gay, so what makes us the exception?"

Matt's icy blue eyes looked away in… what? Shame? Embarrassment? "Well… Because we aren't… well… are we?" he asked, unable to say that one, simple word that had plagued him since he woke up and Tai had kissed him. _Are we together?_

Tai suddenly realized his mistake, a blush forming on his cheeks. "Y-yeah. Th-that's right. I n-never did actually ask you out, did I?" he asked. "I guess I kind of just assumed, so of course you would be hesitant. I mean, Yamato Ishida never just jumps into anything without certainty in the matter, so of course you wouldn't want me to kiss you because for all you know it isn't real and I'm just using you, though I promise I'd never do something like that to you because I love you, and you know that, and I assumed that was enough to establish it but I guess it-" A hand over his mouth cut him off.

"Tai, you're rambling," the singer said. "And you still haven't asked me yet."

The surprise in his chocolate eyes melted to a warm feeling that just radiated into him. A tanned hand gripped his pale wrist, moving it away from his mouth. "Will you go out with me?" he seductively cooed, capturing Matt in a kiss before he could reply.

He grumbled in irritation as the blonde pushed him away again. "At least give me a chance to answer," Matt indignantly flushed. "Even if you already know I'm going to say yes." His voice quieted as he spoke that last line, new color flaring in his cheeks.

"Sorry, Yamato," the brunette purred, leaning back down to graze their lips again. Only to be forced back, again! "What's the matter this time?" Tai snapped, growing tired of the other male's games.

Guilt welled up in the musician, realizing he couldn't keep Tai waiting forever, but knowing he had to say this first. "You can't call me that," he nervously said.

"What?" the idiot soccer star asked, confused.

""You can't call me Yamato," he specified.

"What? Why?" Tai whined, not too thrilled with the idea but willing to obey if he absolutely had to.

"Because you don't call me Yamato. You _always_ call me Matt," the blonde started.

"That's because we were only friends before," Tai defended. "But we're boyfriends now so I want to use something more endearing, and Yamato really is a beautiful name."

"But if you call me Yamato then everyone will find out," Matt continued, clearly starting to spook.

"So?" Tai asked, not seeing the problem in that situation.

"I'm not ready for that, Tai!" matt shouted. "I'm… I'm barely ready to even _be_ in a relationship with you."

Tai's spirits seemed to drop a bit. "Can I at least call you Yamato when we're alone, then?" he asked, a hint of hope in his normally joking and overly-loud voice.

Smiling despite his embarrassment, the blonde leaned up and gently pecked Tai on the lips. "Okay, I think I can handle that," he said, happy at Tai's squeal of glee. He stopped Tai one last time from kissing him. "But when we aren't alone, we're just friends."

Tai nodded vigorously, his mop of brunette hair flopping around, causing the teenager beneath him to laugh. Taking the opportunity, Tai crashed their lips together and slipped his tongue into Matt's open mouth. Gasping at the sudden and new sensation, the blonde didn't know how to react. He tried to kiss back, but found it hard to not reflexively close his mouth. He shivered as their tongues touched, the strange heat, hot breath, and foreign taste of Tai mingling in his mouth. It was becoming increasingly difficult to control his body as the athlete turned his muscles to mush.

Tanned hands found their way to pale hips, the thumbs looping into the tight waistband. "Mm!" the blonde gasped, eyes going wide. Te hands at his waist moved up, maneuvering their way under his shirt. Matt's hands shot up to Tai's shoulders, fear and panic showing in the desperation used to force Tai away from him.

Tai sat up, quickly removing his hands from the older teen's sides. Matt was looking positively disheveled. His hair was (for once) messed up, his shirt pushed about halfway up, a light hickey showing on the right side of his neck, and a trail of drool running from the corner of his mouth. He was obviously worried about something, but was panting too hard to speak. "S-sorry, Yamato," Tai said, hanging his head. He had also realized how physical he was getting. "I think I'll hold off on French Kissing for a bit longer. I get too caught up when I do so, obviously," he smiled down apologetically.

"It's okay," Matt said once he caught his breath. "Not like you knew, right?" He really did like Tai better when he smiled.

The soccer player slowly stood, moving slightly to the right and reaching down to help his boyfriend up. Slightly wary, and letting Tai realize that by the way he looked at him, Matt took the offered hand. Smirking, Tai yanked the other male to his feet and immediately into a hug. A simple, five-second long, chaste kiss later, the brunette loving laid this head down in the crook of Matt's shoulder. "I love you, Yamato," he cooed.

"I know," Matt replied, hesitantly placing his arms around the athlete for his mind was still struggling with the information that he was now dating a guy. He may have accepted that he was gay, but it still scared him. "I love you, too," he choked out, those words making him nervous. Luckily, Tai had known him long enough to understand his reluctance.

They just stood there for several minutes, enjoying the silence and contact. They might have stood there for hours had Tai not spoken up. "What time do we have to be back?" he asked.

Matt's expression fell, but Tai could not see that with his face in Matt's shoulder. "We should probably be heading back, so people don't worry. Gabumon probably already is… What are you smiling about?" he could feel the brunette's smirk in his shoulder.

"It's more visible now," he said, lifting his head up to better see his work. Matt suddenly remembered the hickey he'd received, slapping a hand over it and blocking it from the athlete's view. "Hey!" the brunette protested, sticking out his lower lip in a pout.

"I can't believe you actually marked me!" the musician shouted, embarrassed, face flushed. _Damn I'm blushing a lot! What am I, a girl?_

"I claimed you as my own," Tai grinned, pulling Matt into another chaste kiss.

Letting the kiss linger, Matt could not help but feel a flutter in his chest at the words. He _belonged_ to Tai. Tai _wanted_ him.

It was over way too soon, the two staring at each other through slightly hazed eyes. Tai smirked, again going for Matt's pale neck. "Tai, wait! No more marks!" the blonde nervously said. "Hickeys on a guy are an automatic sign they're gay. I'm not ready for that, Tai!"

"You can cover it with make-up, I'm sure you know how," Tai justified.

"I don't have any with me, Tai, and we still have to go home. On the bus, no less. With how many people who might recognize me?" the blonde asked, visibly shaking. "I'm not ready for that, Tai, don't you get that?"

"Of course I get it, you've only said it seventeen times now," Tai scoffed. Matt rolled his eyes at the obvious exaggeration and seemed to add a "well, it doesn't seem like it," but Tai couldn't tell. "I have a scarf and sweatshirt in my bag."

"Oh…" Matt whispered, looking thoroughly ashamed for doubting his best frien—well, boyfriend, now.

"So can I leave another one now?" he asked, hopeful.

A slight groan issued from his throat, not liking the idea too much. Tai's puppy-dog eyes won out. "Oh, alrigh-ah!" he gave in, half screaming as Tai shoved him against the stone wall. "B-but only one more," he gasped.

"Okay, I can live with that," Tai said into the skin on his boyfriend's neck. He licked the mark he previously made before moving down to where his neck met his shoulder. Grazing his teeth gently on the spot first, Tai once again latched on. His tongue went to work, tasting the nature-touched skin. He felt the body against his shiver, and at that point Tai remembered his best friend was wearing his stage clothes, and not something suited for the chilling November weather. His fear was quickly quelled, though, when pale hands gripped his shoulders, using him for support, and a strangled gasp escaped the other male's mouth. "You seem to be enjoying this," the brunette hummed into the blonde's neck.

"Sh-shut up," Matt stuttered, surprised he was reacting so much this time, since the first hickey had elicited little response from him. Well, except for embarrassment.

"Okay," the soccer player cooed, swirling his tongue around the spot before sucking hard, drawing a quiet scream from the older teen's lips. He sucked again and again, Matt letting out long, drawn out moans of pleasure.

_How can something like this feel so good?_ his hazy mind wondered absently, answering with, _Well, apparently getting screwed up the ass feels good, too._ That thought scared him. _When we do get that far-_ he barely noted he thought when, not if _–I would be on the bottom, wouldn't I?_ All coherent thought flew out the cave entrance at that point as Tai's ministrations brought a fog to Matt's mind. One of his hands left Tai's shoulders to tangle in the boy's messy brunette locks, preventing him from removing his mouth from the musician's neck.

Tai suckled the skin until he felt he had created a sufficient bruise. Matt, too engrossed in the sensations, didn't notice the athlete had stopped until his large, strong hands began massaging his sides. Startled, his slim, pale hand jumping back enough so Tai could lift his head from Matt's shoulder, the male now able to look down at the hickey that was already darker than the first one. Smiling lovingly, he took Matt's lips again.

Wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, Tai leaned his forehead into Matt's, breaking the contact at their lips. "I love you."

"How many times are you going to say that clichéd line?" Matt mumbled, not really complaining.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic," Tai grinned.

_It doesn't matter_, the blonde told himself. _I can't say I'm much different. I'm just more of a coward._ "Tai, we really need to be getting home. I know I haven't had a proper meal in a few weeks, and you could probably use one, too."

Tai's face, which fell at the mention of leaving, rose at the mention of food. "You're gonna cook for me?" he asked, happiness bombarding the more reluctant male.

"I can't just leave my… boyfriend… to your mom's cooking," Matt said slowly, trying not to stumble over the word 'boyfriend.'

Smiling wider, the brunette let go of his the other boy and rushed to his bag. Grabbing the corner of the blanket they had used, he proceeded to stuff it into the already overfull backpack. He strained against the fabric, trying to sip it closed. Matt chuckled slightly at the idiot's antics. He wasn't going to tell Tai, though, that the blanket would fit better without the rock that had accidentally been kicked on it curing their earlier activity. Tai had rolled it up in the blanket unknowingly. He would notice it soon, and sheepishly smile up at him.

A sudden thought came over him, and he said, "Tai, stop." The brunette froze, turning slowly to look at the blonde, chuckling at Matt's expression. "You need to get me the sweater and scarf," Matt said nervously, a hand clapped over the right side of him neck and not succeeding in fully hiding either of the purple marks.

"Oh, right. Have to cover those up, huh?" he grinned, animatedly pulling the blanket from the bag like a magician's scarf from a hat. The rock crashed down near Tai's foot, rolling away from him. "Oh, since when was that there?" he asked. Pulling the last of it out, he reached in and retrieved a dark sweatshirt and gray scarf. Tossing the articles of clothing to Matt, Tai found the blanket fit better without the rock and two items the rock star the now donned.

Slinging his backpack onto his shoulder, the soccer player walked back over to his best friend. Wrapping his arms around Matt's thin waist, he gasped. "Geez, Yamato. Do you ever eat?" he exclaimed.

"We need to head home," Matt reiterated, moving Tai's arms so he could get free. His hand was instantly grabbed, fingers entwining in his own.

Gently squeezing the pale hand, Tai said, "Okay, let's go home."

The older teen leaned in slightly on his companion as they walked. His heart was floating, a bliss passing through him merely from being in the younger male's presence. He didn't understand why his mind kept rebelling against something that felt so right.

The trees began to thin, alerting Matt that they were reaching the edge of the woods. He tried to let go of the hand held in his, but the tanned fingers just closed tighter. "Tai, stop please. Come on, let go," he complained.

Tai stopped, eyes downcast. "I know, and I'm sorry. I just want to hold on a bit longer. I won't tell anyone about us, I promise."

The last sentence was unnecessarily added, but it reassured the singer none-the-less. "Thanks, Tai. But, I think Sora already knows. She sent me after you, after all."

"Yeah, but I still won't tell her."

* * *

Tai sighed as he leaned back, the meal fully consumed. "No cooking is better than your, Yamato," the boy contentedly sighed. "Huh, what are you doing?"

"I have to tell everyone we're back and safe, right?" Matt asked, dialing the first number.

Kari nearly cried when she heard her brother was okay. She said she'd grab TK, who was obviously over there to comfort her (better not tell Tai that…), and their digimon then head over. Jyou was next, so he could inform the doctor-to-be that they didn't catch pneumonia or hypothermia or require any type of medical attention.

Then came Sora.

"So how'd it go?" the Digidestined of Love asked, that flirtatious wink in her voice.

He replied with a groan and silence.

"That groan was towards me. So I'm guessing it went well?" she asked, not needing to entirely speculate.

"Yeah," he finally grumbled, agitatedly tightening the scarf around his neck. Damn, the second hickey was so dark!

There was no sound on the other end for a few seconds. Then, Sora spoke in a somber tone, "I'm glad you finally found someone who can make you happy."

"I'm sorry, Sora," he said quietly.

"I am, too. That I couldn't be the one for you. Now get back to your boyfriend. I'll call the others and tell them Tai is back safe."

"Thanks, Sora," Matt said, hanging up.

"Soooo… What'd she say?" the very nosy Tai asked.

"She wished us luck." She might not have actually said it, but it was between the lines.

* * *

I hope I didn't drag it on too long. And I realized I had used the same line multiple times ("I'm not ready for that yet!") so I had to add that into the story somehow, with Tai's exaggeration. I think I made it fit quite well.

Hope you liked it! Next chapter (which should be up in 3-4 weeks, depending on how much time I need to write/type it) will have them back at school. Too bad that second hickey can't be fully covered with make-up. XP


	11. Chapter 10: First Date

Okay, first thing's first. I meant to get this out _two weeks ago_ but I didn't, and I am very sorry to those who have been waiting for it. The reason I didn't? That is, quite simply, because I wanted to post in all five of my fanfictions at once this one time as a "I'm out of college and not going back at this moment, yay!" kind of thing. The problem? I had to write in all five of them first. I had four done for the last week, and finally got the fifth one done! So, you can blame **The Assassin and the Clown** on the delay. At this point, I will tell you I am still writing this, but I will not guarentee specific update days. I am not giving them up (I love my fanfictions ana my fans), but ti could be two months or two days between updates.

More of the MattxTai relationship, yay! As you will see in this chapter, the part in the initial description of "keeping it a secret may be the hardest part" came clear.

I am mad about something. Whisperingly is not a word (or at least my Word program said it wasn't). Know what? I used it anyway.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10: First Date**

"Yamato!" a cheerful voice yelled. The figure was still a good ways away, running at full speed with a hand waving wildly in the air. The addressed blonde pulled his scarf a little tighter, blushing slightly and acting as if he didn't hear the other male. "Hey, I was calling you!" the fluffy-haired brunette pouted indignantly, a tanned hand resting on the blonde's shoulder.

"I know," Matt said, huffing as his blue eyes met his boyfriend's chocolate ones. "And I told you not to call me Yamato, remember, _Tai_?" he asked, accentuating the other's nickname (which everyone used). The athlete blushed sheepishly, portraying that he forgot. Fingers idly fiddling with the fluff at the end of Matt's scarf, Tai suddenly seemed to notice something.

"Why are you wearing a scarf? It' not cold out," he stated. It really wasn't that cold out (the rain storm bringing a temporary warm front along behind it), even for Matt. The musician blushed deeper and looked away.

"Because I couldn't cover the marks you made on me," he mumblingly whispered, Tai barely hearing it.

"What? But I thought you could cover them with makeup," the brunette defended, preparing for the coming accusation.

"I could easily cover the lighter one," Matt hissed, keeping his voice down. "But you made the second one so dark I could not cover it up without it being obvious I was hiding something!"

Smiling sheepishly, Tai looked to the ground for a second before looking around the area. Matt was about to ask what he was doing when he felt the sharp sting of his back being shoved against the nearest building, his hiss of pain drowned out in the lips of his boyfriend, which were now covering his own. Blushing, he was about to return the kiss when he remembered where they were and pushed the other male away, covering his mouth. "T-Tai! Not in public, remember?" he whisperingly shot.

"No one's around," the younger male grinned, licking his lips sensually in a way that sent delicious shiver's down Matt's spine while he consumed the lingering taste of boyfriend there.

"There are _buildings_ with _windows_ and _people_ inside them," the blonde articulated, blushing deeper as the shiver dissipated, leaving the musician wishing for more.

"No one will recognize you, we're too far away," Tai cooed, moving forward so their bodies lightly touched, once at the knee, second at the thigh (one of Tai's legs between Matt's), third at the shoulder, and fourth at the mouth… almost.

Strong (despite their delicate appearance) hands pushed him away. "Not in public," Matt harshly reiterated, flinching as he saw the hurt in the athlete's—_his_ athlete's—chocolate eyes. "Just tone things down a bit. You're normal behavior is unusually affectionate so you can still—Ack!—" Tai threw his arms around the pale teen's shoulders "-hug me… and stuff…" Sad how Tai's cheek pressed to his disrupted the elegant flow of words the musician normally possessed.

"But I can't kiss you," he more so stated than asked, eyes downcast and moping.

"Not where others can see, but in private, like at my place when my dad isn't home, you can," Matt replied, gently patting the teen's unruly brunette locks and thinking, _which is most of the time._ "Tai, we already went over this at the cave."

Matt hadn't even felt the brunette's hands at work until they deftly removed the scarf, revealing the half-covered-by-foundation purple-ish bruise. "It really is dark, isn't it?" he asked innocently, running gentle fingers over the marked skin.

Blush deepening, Matt jerked away, trying and failing to get his scarf back. Settling on slapping a hand over the hickey, he tried again, only to have the soccer player keep the cloth just out of his reach. "Please, Tai," Matt begged. "Give that back…"

Smiling, he tossed the soft material to his boyfriend, who hastily replaced it around his neck. "I just wanted to see it," Tai stated, abiding by Matt's wishes and keeping their normal 'friendly' distance.

"See what? The hickey?" Matt asked, voice quiet so no ears listening in from the fifth floor (or something) could hear. "_You_ made it yesterday, you should have seen it then."

"The proof of ownership," the athlete responded cheerily, grabbing the pale teen's hand and giving it a loving squeeze before releasing it. "You belong to me. My mark on your neck proves that."

Glowering, Matt huffed and looked away childishly. "Ah, don't be like that," Tai whined, knowing very well the blonde was simply teasing him. Still, Matt wasn't too fond of being looked at like a piece of property.

* * *

"Quit flirting with me in class!" the blonde hissed quietly, slapping the brunette's hand off his knee.

"I can't flirt with you in class, I can't kiss you in public, I can't tell anyone we're together," Tai huffed, _though Kari knows so TK probably does too by now, _"what _can_ I do?"

"Tai, please remember where we are and keep your voice down!" Matt snapped quietly.

Glaring and grumbling, Tai turned away angrily.

Matt's visage immediately softened, on of his hands reaching over to rest on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Tai, don't do this, please," the teenager pleaded. "Don't do this to me…"

If the chalk to the head wasn't a clear enough sign, the voice accompanying it sure was; his conversation hadn't gone unnoticed. "Yamato Ishida," the teacher called, causing the blonde musician to swallow hard. "Do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

"N-no!" he quickly replied, holding his hands up defensively.

"Are you sure you won't enlighten us?" the art teacher asked (who did she think she was, the literature teacher?), Matt shaking his head in response. "No? Okay, then partner up for sketching, and keep your mouth shut when I'm talking."

"Okay," he sheepishly replied, looking up as Izzy and Mimi approached (he and Mimi had switched back to their original seats).

"We partnering up again, Matt?" the redhead asked.

"No, Yamato's my partner!" an annoyed voice said, strong, tan arms wrapping themselves around the slimmer male's torso.

"Tai," the blonde growled in disapproval, though he thoroughly enjoyed the contact.

Izzy chuckled at Tai's 'mine, don't touch' face. Matt was flushed, and though the genius couldn't quite tell if it was from anger or embarrassment, he suspected the latter. "I'll just pair up with Mimi," he stated, getting Tai to back down a bit.

As the pairs walked outside, Matt made a deliberate attempt to stomp on Tai's foot, the overly happy male skipping away a bit. "What was that for, Yamato?" he pouted, lip out and eyes big with the start of almost-tears.

"Stop calling me that," the blonde shot back, ignoring the look as best he could. "Must you be so obvious?" Huffing, he sat down in the shade of a tree—their tree, actually, which had been Tai and _Mimi's_ tree for a little while—, pulling out his sketchpad. A strong arm snaked around his waist, fingers reaching up to tug slightly on the end of his scarf. Face flushing again, Matt stuttered, "T-Tai, think of w-where we are."

"No one's paying attention," the younger teen whispered, breath tickling his boyfriend's ear before he sensually nipped at it. Said boyfriend had to bite his lip to contain his moan at the sensation. A tongue slipped out to trace the shell of his ear, sending a delicious shiver down the musician's spine.

The hand was the last straw, though. Tai's unoccupied hand moved to his side, massaging the skin as it made its way down to his hip. Jolting to his senses, Matt pushed the other male away. "No! No, no, no! Not in school, Tai," the blonde repeated, face flushed with embarrassment.

Disappointment rose onto the athlete's features, eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. "I just wanted to spend time with you not as 'just a friend,'" he complained, trying to guilt his boyfriend into complying.

It seemed to work, for Matt began worrying his lip with his teeth, as if thinking. After several minutes of silence, though, Tai's hopes began to wane. He was about to start drawing again when a soft voice spoke up. "Do you want to learn ice skating?"

Blinking in surprise, the only response he could come up with was, "Huh?"

"I asked if you wanted me to teach you ice skating," Matt stated more than asked, cheeks deliciously pink and refusing to make eye contact.

"A-are you saying like a d-date?" Tai squeaked, stuttering.

"I-I can understand if y-you don't want to," Matt replied, equally flustered.

"No! I do, I do!" Tai gasped, tackling the musician.

"Hey, get off! Get off!" the older male struggled, trying to push Tai off himself, obviously unsuccessfully.

Smiling, Tai leaned down and captured Matt's lips in a short kiss. "It's a date," he said lovingly.

"Yes, yes, now get off!" Matt hissed, the heavier teen obligingly rolling off him. Sitting up and brushing off his uniform, _at least the blazer's green so grass stains won't show, _he thought, he looked back down at his abandoned sketchbook. "I'll pick you up at four,: he stated, flipping through his improving art. Izzy really was a good teacher.

"I'll be waiting, love," Tai cooed, giggling (yes, Tai giggles sometimes) as the older teen sputtered, blushed in embarrassment, and looked around.

* * *

Walking down the sidewalk**(1)**, with ice skates over his shoulder, with an obviously male teenager beside him, Matt had already heard from three different little old ladies (or maybe one little old lady three different times in three different outfits) what a cute girlfriend he was. To say the least, it was infuriating. To Matt, at least. Tai was enjoying it, even going so far as to wrap his arm around the musician's waist and trying to kiss him. The teenagers or better seeing people near the old ladies looked on in curiosity or disgust.

Pinching the hand on his hip painfully, Matt agitatedly growled, "That's enough, Taichi." Grinning wolfishly, the brunette withdrew his injured hand, rubbing the red spot for a second before replacing it at his side. "Good, and keep it th-" he was cut off by a tongue in his mouth as Tai snuck a kiss. It was over a second later as the brunette broke away and into a run. "Damnit Taichi Kamiya! Get back here!" the already angered blonde yelled, rushing after the soccer star.

Like he could keep up.

Leaning against a building, Matt looked down, ashamed at his anger as Tai cautiously approached. _This isn't that big of a deal. If I really had to run after him, though, I wouldn't be able to keep up…_ he realized, the notion not sitting well with him. "I'm not mad, Tai," he said quietly, the puppy-like male cheering up a bit. "We're here, anyway, so lets go in."

"Alright!" the brunette cheered, hooking their arms and literally dragging the blonde through the door. Matt could only smile at his boyfriend's enthusiasm. Sure, he knew doing couple things were important to the idiot, but seeing the reaction was so much more entertaining than the imagined ones. Now just to rent him a pair of skates and see how he did. That was going to be fun…

"We need to go that way," he said, pointing to the counter to pay and rent skates. Big grin plastered on his face, Tai bee lined straight for it.

"And what size skates will you need, sir?" the young lady behind the counter asked, looking the soccer star up and down a few times. "Agree to a date and I can get you those for free," she added, winking seductively.

Tai scowled at her performance, clutching the arm he held tighter. "I'm already on a date," he corrected, causing the owner of the arm he held to fidget. "My friend is going to teach me to skate."

It took a second for the words to register, but when they did, Matt looked over at Tai in stunned silence. _Did he just conceal the fact that we're dating? _the blonde's mind wondered. It was then he realized Tai had no clue what size skate he should be getting, so Matt removed his arm from the brunette's and moved to the counter. "Let's see… he wears that size… so he'll need… that size," Matt stated, gesturing to the skates of the correct size**(2)**. The girl looked at him suspiciously, his only answer being, "I've been his best friend since we were twelve."

Money and skates exchanged hands, and it took Tai a moment to realize Matt had paid for him. "Hey, I can't have you paying for me!" the younger male protested as they made their way over to the rink. There were already several couples out there, and this did not escape Tai's notice. _Did he specifically choose this _because_ it is a couple's thing?_

"And why not?" Matt asked, voice quiet as he slipped on the bladed shoes. "I was the one who asked you out, right? Doesn't that mean I have to pay for this date?" It was hard for him to keep a straight face throughout those lines, forcing the words to roll off his tongue before he had the chance the think about them.

"Well, that's because… you see…" he tried, attempting to come up with something that wouldn't insult his masculinity-challenged boyfriend. Both realized this, and while neither stated it, it was obvious that Tai was going to be the dominant partner in their relationship.

"Just forget it Tai and try to enjoy yourself. And for goodness sake, put that jacket _on_, not around your waist. You're going to catch a cold."

Smiling sheepishly, the brunette left his second boot unlaced as he struggled to pull the garment over his head. Amused, his blonde companion reached over and, instead of tugging down on the fabric to help, grabbed Tai's foot and lifted it up, causing the younger teen to lose balance and fall backwards. "Do you wear skate shoes**(2)** because you don't know how to tie them anymore?" he teased, undoing the already tied boot to redo it.

Finally managing to get his head in the correct hole (helps if he doesn't try to fit that obnoxious mass of hair through the sleeve, doesn't it?), he replied with, "I know perfectly well how to tie my shoes!" At Matt's indication to the mess Tai called a 'tied shoe,' he added, "I'm just kind of nervous right now."

Finishing the first one and moving onto the second, Matt asked, "Nervous about what?"

"Well, actually going on a date, for one," the athlete admitted. "I have never gone on one before, let alone with someone I feel so deeply about. And… well…" he hesitated for a few seconds too long, Matt finishing the second skate faster because he didn't have to untangle/knot the laces and looking at him with piercing eyes. "I'venevericeskatedbefore!" the male garbled, trying to get passed that intense look that just made him more nervous. "I'm kind of scared I'll make a fool of myself."

Laughing at that, the blonde affectionately clasped a hand on the younger teen's arm to help him stand. "You will," he assured, chuckling slightly at the sweet flush of tanned cheeks. "But so did I when I learned. And I had my whole family watching. You only have me, and a bunch of random people who would only give you half a glace if you kissed me right now and don't you _dare_ even think of it."

"Think of what?" Tai asked innocently, taking a shaky step forward while balancing using the arm that still connected him with Matt.

Chuckling quietly again, the blonde glided the same distance. "You're supposed to skate, not walk. Thus the reason it is called ice _skating_," he teased, spirits high (well, high for Matt).

"Like this? Wow!" he yelped, landing solidly on his ass and nearly pulling the slimmer male down on top of him as he fell. Matt would have fallen had he not released the brunette's arm, and while he felt bad for destroying Tai's safety line, he knew it could have been much worse had he not.

Extending a helping hand, he waiting for Tai to grasp it and gave the warm hand in his a loving squeeze. "Balance, Tai. Balance is the first thing you need to learn."

The next hour went something like this, the two moving inches at a time, Tai taking baby steps (sometimes literally) to figure out how to maintain an upright position on those "cursed slivers of uncontrollable metal," as Tai liked to call them. Matt couldn't convince him that "ice skates" was shorter and thus easier to use. Both got a kick out of Matt's wipe out when he decided to "show Tai how it was really done."

They were so wrapped up in their fun that they didn't even realize it as a strange girl made her way over to their bags, rummaging through the contents quickly. Holding a slim piece of metal in her hands, the mystery girl slipped back out the door.

It was a while later, after they turned in Tai's skates (he commented on how he almost felt bad to see them go, despite all the problems they gave him before he had figure out how to "command them using his Jedi powers" that Matt simplified by calling skill) and were heading out the door that Matt realized their bags had been pilfered.

"Matt, what's wrong?" Tai asked, concerned as he approached the obviously distraught musician. Blue eyes roamed up to meet chocolate, barely noticing the slight dampness to the brunette locks from where Tai washed his face in the bathroom.

"I can't find it," he said, turning back to the object in his lap. "And the rest of the content is disorganized. I think someone went through my bag."

"Can't find what?" Tai asked, worried over what item could bring sorrow to _his_ Matt.

"My harmonica."

* * *

**(1)** They are still fifteen at this point, so neither of them has a driver's licence to drive (I am using the American system because to be honest I don't know any other one...). As such, they were walking and not driving. Although, Matt does have his learners permit (Tai failed the test...)

**(2)** For those of you unfamiliar with them, the laces of skate shoes go in the shoe, so you don't really have to tie them. They are very comfy, btw, but difficult to climb trees in.

One other thing to note: I have never ice skated before. I want to, but haven't. So, for those of you who read this and have, I am sorry if I made it sound wrong/awkward.

Chapter 10: First Date


	12. Chapter 11: Of Purple and Grey

Okay, this is the hardest one for me to start chapters with. I know what I want to do, it's just starting it that is the problem. For example, it took me nearly a week and a half to figure out the start of this chapter, then I got stuck again at the beginning of the middle section fo this chapter... /sigh

For those of you who don't know or can't remember (I know I couldn't when I first started writing this fanfiction), Hiroaki is Matt's dad.

Because this is my ony fanfiction where I use the characters' English names, they may be in Japanese a couple times, where I relapse into that instead. All (except for Jyou and when Tai or Matt use the other's Japanese name) are supposed to be in English, until a certain point where I will switch over to Japanese and I will inform you when that is. It won't be for a while, though.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Of Purple and Grey**

They had established boundaries, boundaries Tai liked to stretch to their limits. The tanned teen's hands gently massaged his partner's hips, his tongue skillfully battling the musician's. Matt was currently pressed into the cousins of the couch from the force on his mouth, the other participant of the kiss leaning over him with one knee settled next to the musician's legs on the couch. Both were starting to feel short of breath, desire hazing their eyes. It had taken Tai several days to convince Matt to let him French kiss him again, and when the soccer star showed he could keep his hands decent the blonde decided to allow the younger boy to do as he pleased. He had already realized that he couldn't control too much, or he would ruin what he had.

Although, as previously stated, Tai liked to push those boundaries between decent and indecent.

One hand moved up to Matt's golden locks, entangling in the silken strands that for once weren't fixed in place with hair spray. They were still slightly damp from the shower Matt had taken just moments before his boyfriend showed up. The other hand was the devious one. It rose, but not nearly as high as the first one, moving the couple inches to play with the hem of Matt's shirt. Exerting a little extra pressure into the kiss, Tai cautiously brought his hand up an inch higher, slipping his fingertips under the cotton garment. Almost smirking when he felt that hint of irritation creep into the blonde's side of the kiss, his hand crawled further under the shirt.

Staring into agitated blue eyes, one hand halfway between his boyfriend's belly button and nipples, Tai's tongue quickly escaped the older teen's mouth before it was bitten. "Get your hand out from under my shirt," the blonde said slowly, just further verifying that he was not pleased with Tai's advances.

"Ah, you're no fun," the brunette whined, leaning forward until his head rested on Matt's shoulder. Kissing the skin there softly, his hand quickly shot up, rubbing gently over the small nub that reacted so readily to his touch.

Stiffening for a second at first, not even registering that the soccer star's mouth had latched onto his throat for he was too preoccupied with the fingers pinching his nipple, it took him a second to truly react. "Stop it, Tai!" he bit out, pushing against the heavier teen with one hand and trying to removing the offending appendage with his other.

Smiling at the mark he made, Tai obligingly moved back, holding his hands up in defense. "Sorry," he apologized. "I can't help it sometimes." In truth, this was a game to him. Distract Matt with something else and see how long it took the blonde to realize he marked him again. So far, Tai's record was four hours and seventeen minutes. Matt's was thirty-two seconds. (**A/N:** in other words, in all the times Tai has done this, it has taken anywhere between thirty-two seconds and four hours and seventeen minutes for Matt to realize Tai left another hickey on him.)

"Yeah, and one of these days your 'can't help it' is going to get your tongue bitten off," Matt grumbled, still flushed from the stimulation a moment before. Half the reason Matt told Tai to keep things down was because he wasn't sure how well he would control himself if he felt too much. The other half? He wasn't ready to move that far yet. Kissing and making out in secret, sure. But sex? That was a ways away still.

It was as Tai was leaning in for another kiss that they heard the distinct sound of the doorknob being twisted. Quickly pushing the athlete off him (and into the coffee table), the blonde jumped up and ran to the locked door, glancing to the small table next to it. Sure enough, his dad's keys were there. Unlocking it, he opened the portal, blocking the way with his body to agitatedly hand the forgotten item forcefully into his father's hand. Moving towards the kitchen and the meal he was supposed to be making, all Hiroaki could do was stare after his son, who actually seemed more flustered than angry. Stepping in, he managed to catch a glimpse of Tai as the boy ran into the kitchen. "Tai, get out!" he heard his son yell, followed by the quick scampering of the brunette vacating the kitchen to hide behind the couch.

Sighing, Hiroaki casually walked towards his room, asking as he passed Tai's hiding spot, "You planning on staying for dinner?" He didn't need to hear the soccer player's answer to know what it would be; he _had_ been Matt's friend for several years now. "Then I'd suggest you stay out of the kitchen until Matt is done." The older man guessed that was the cause of Matt's irritation, the brunette had gotten in the way of him cooking dinner, thus the reason he was just starting now. Well, Hiroaki was half-right.

* * *

Izzy got to observe some rather odd occurrences the next morning. The first surprise came with a grumbling brunette; a _lone_, grumbling brunette. Tai and Matt had been so close the last couple weeks the only time you could find them apart was either when they had different classes or practices, and Matt normally went to Tai's morning practice to watch. There was a vast amount rumors flying around about their strange behavior over the past month, the most prominent of those rumors being that the two were together. Izzy knew the skittish blonde would catch wind of them soon. Anyway, because of their inseparability over the past couple weeks seeing one without the other in the morning was strange.

"Matt not feeling well this morning?" the redhead asked, trying to initiate a conversation. Tai looked over at him, a confused expression on his face. "It's rare to see you two not together, and you don't look to be in the best mood. Is Matt not feeling well?"

"Oh," Tai uttered, puffing out his cheeks for a second before letting the air out and grinning like his normal, idiotic self. "No, Matt's just pissed at me and told me to go away, that he'd walk to school by himself this morning."

Izzy couldn't help but chuckle at that; Tai had to be the only person who could piss Matt off and get away without some kind of injury. Despite seeming quite frail, the blonde musician was known to have taken down a kid a good fifty pound heavier than him. Again, there were rumors about that, including that Matt was secretly taking Judo lessons. "What'd you do to make him angry this time?" Koushirou asked, still laughing slightly.

"Matt would kill me if I told you," was all the reply he got before the brunette took off, looking happier as he ran for his locker.

The second surprise wasn't so much of a surprise.

Turning when he heard a snort behind him, Izzy found the missing blonde leaning inconspicuously against one of the trees in front of the school. It seemed Matt had followed to make sure Tai behaved, or he wasn't actually as mad as Tai thought. Most likely it was the later, for Izzy doubted Matt _could_ stay mad at Tai for any notable length of time. "Hey Matt," the redheaded teenager called, greeting the brooding blonde as he approached.

"Hello Izzy," the musician replied, stopping to talk as the brunette he had followed vanished inside the building.

"What did Tai do this time?" the inquisitive fourteen-year-old asked.

"If I told you I'd have to kill you," was the reply he gave, causing his companion to chuckle a bit. "What's so funny?" Matt asked, irritation in his voice.

"Nothing, really," Izzy replied, quieting down. "Just that Tai said almost the same thing. He said you'd kill him if he told me."

The answer seemed to satisfy the blonde, for he nodded almost triumphantly and smirked. "At least the idiot has learned to keep his mouth shut."

Izzy's dark eyes traveled up to Matt's neck again while the older male was watching the school doors, wanted to look a little closer at something that caught his attention earlier. The more he stared at it, the harder it was to mistake what it was. Almost cracking up again, the short teen asked, "Hey Matt, what is that on your neck?"

Jumping, a pale hand was quickly slapped over the spot and the blonde musician sprinted into the school, nearly knocking into the few people there as he rushed to the bathroom. Giving only a quick glance around to make sure it was empty (which pretty much everywhere was for it was still pretty early), he removed his hand and peered in the mirror at the small bruise. Shaking in anger and unaware of the short redhead watching from the door, he yelled, "TAICHI!" Somewhere out on the soccer field, a horrible shiver ran through a brunette's spine, causing him to trip and fall. He just _knew_ he was in deep shit this time.

Izzy smiled to himself, moving down the hall towards the computer lab. Matt must have missed the mark that morning, otherwise it would have been cleverly covered up. It seemed that the rumor was true, as the computer genius had suspected since the two first mended their friendship.

Discreetly covering the hickey on his neck, Matt made his way out of the bathroom and to his locker, opening it and retrieving a scarf he kept stored there.

* * *

Tai's premonition on the soccer field turned out to be true. Not only did Matt completely ignore him during class, but every time the athlete managed to gain eye contact he was rewarded with a menacing glare, one that promised a gruesome, horrible death. Hoping to reconcile, the brunette avoided his boyfriend's presence until lunch, giving the older male time to cool down, as well as choosing a time where they could sneak off to some place without prying ears.

The problem was, when lunch rolled around Tai couldn't _find_ Matt. The musician wasn't at his locker, in the lunch room, or in the music room. Figuring they must have just missed each other, Tai revisited the first two places. Still nothing. "Does anyone know where Matt is?" he finally asked the other Digidestined that were already at their table. Jyou was too immersed in his book to even hear Tai, let alone see Matt, Mimi shook her head vigorously, and Izzy let out a single 'no' as he dutifully tap-tapped on his keyboard.

"Have you tried the roof?" a voice behind him asked. Turning, the brunette was greeted by Sora, who motioned for him to scoot over because he was in her way.

"No, I haven't," Tai said, grinning at discovering another possible hiding place for the skittish blonde. "I'll try there!" he cheered as he bolted from the cafeteria. Sighing, Sora couldn't help but wonder if Matt would survive this encounter. If he was on the roof, she knew why; there was only one reason he went to the roof.

Matt nearly jumped as the door slammed open, the only reason he didn't jump being because he got used to it when he dated Sora. "There you are," came the exhausted voice of his boyfriend, and Matt had the funny image of Tai bolting up the stairs three at a time (and nearly tripping in his haste) before the reality of the situation hit him; he was no longer mad at Tai, frustrated at yet another mark but not mad, but he doubted the soccer star would be very happy about the lit cigarette he held. "Look, I came to apologize. But it's partially your fault, too, because you kicked me out before I could tell you I left a hickey on you and then you wouldn't talk to me this morn-"

"I'm not mad, Tai," Matt stated, cutting Tai off before he could ramble on for minutes and pretty much pass out from lack of breath. It had happened before…

"Oh? Well, that's good!" Tai grinned, casually making his way towards the older male. "Then why are you up here, huh?"

"Does it really matter? Look, just go eat with the others and I'll see you in class," the blonde asked, trying to divert his boyfriend before he got too close. It didn't work, and by the time he was through talking Tai was wrapping his arms around Matt's shoulders.

An offending smell greeted the younger teen's nose, and he immediately peered around his boyfriend's head. "Smoking, Yamato!" he hissed, noticing the lit cigarette. "What the hell are you doing?"

Getting free of his boyfriend's grip, Matt moved a couple paces away and brought the offending item to his mouth. He needed the nicotine, he needed to calm down. It hadn't really occurred to him yet, but his 'one or two cigarettes a week' had become 'three or four cigarettes a week,' the amount slowly increasing as his body became accustomed the harmful chemicals in the small, cylindrical object. He was slowly becoming addicted.

"It's nothing much, Tai," the musician stated, smoke wafting up with his words. "It just helps me calm down, that's all."

"It is something serious, Yamato!" Tai yelled, the anger in his voice causing Matt to flinch. "You do realize you can get cancer from that, right? That will destroy your lungs, your voice! Do you really want to lose that?"

Sora had told him the exact same thing, but it weighed heavier with Tai's voice behind it. "I never planned on doing much with singing, Tai," he admitted. "It is merely an outlet."

"I'm not talking about just your singing!" the brunette growled, face just a few inches from his blonde companion's. When had he gotten that close? "You have to stop this before too much damage is done." Swiftly taking the burning cigarette from the blonde's pale fingers, Tai took a couple quick steps back.

"Hey, give that back!" Matt protested, reaching forward when something he would later recall as seriously horrifying happened; Tai put the cigarette out on his arm, digging the lit end in enough that it left a sufficient burn. "Tai, why did you…?"

"Every time I catch you with one of these I will do this," he glared, holding up his injured as to accentuate his point. "Until you quit."

The wound would later scar up, making sure Matt could never forget the stupid choice he made when he was younger.

* * *

Hehe, Matt got caught doing a no-no. Tai will continue burning his arm until Matt does quit (which he will) and by that time Tai will have five noticable burn scars, and a couple more that you really can't see well.


	13. Chapter 12: Christmas Surprise

Finally I got to this chapter! Yay! It looks like most of the next several chapters are action related, meaning I will have an easier time writing them and won't get stuck as easily as had happened with a few chapters.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Christmas Surprise**

Matt was standing in the kitchen, nose in a cookbook with one hand stirring something in a sauce pan. He had made this enough times to not need to watch what he was doing, and instead was researching other meal ideas. His dad had called an hour before, informing his son that he would be working late, and Tai had told him before the holiday break even started that he would be busy most of it. So, while he was making enough food for three people, there would only be one sitting down at the dinner table that night. It had happened often enough that he was conditioned to lone meals.

Setting the book down long enough to throw some spices on the sizzling meat, the blonde's mind wondered back to the call from his father. It had been meant to sound saddened, as if he was missing an important date, but it wasn't his birthday, that had passed already, and it wasn't the anniversary of the divorce. At the same time, while sounding down, there was an underlying tone of excitement which seriously confused the musician. Was he forgetting something?

The phone ringing pulled him out of his thoughts. Resting the spoon on the edge of the pan, Matt nimbly snatched up the device, pressed the talk button, nestled it between his ear and shoulder, and started stirring the contents of the pan again. "Hello?" he asked, too involved in his book to check the caller ID for who it was.

"Hey Matt!" the other person cheered.

Grinning to himself, the blonde resituated the phone with his shoulder so it was a little more comfortable, figuring this conversation would not end any time soon. "Hi, Taichi," he replied, almost feeling the grin radiating through the phone from the use of his full name. "What made you call? I thought you were busy."

"You mean you aren't?" the normally bubbly brunette asked, shock robbing him of his normal luster.

"Am I supposed to be?" Matt inquired, tone mimicking his boyfriend's. _First his dad, now Tai, something must be up today, _he thought, once again delving into the dark recessed of his brain for the answer. Nothing. Big, fat nothing.

"Well, I figured you would be, I mean it is…" he slowly trailed off. "Matt, what day is it?"

"Are you really that stupid to forget?" the musician teased, shifting the phone again as it started to hurt his ear. "It's the twenty-fifth. Winter break is over in eight days."

There was silence for a second, as if Tai was waiting for the older male to say more. "Aaanything else you want to say?" Tai inquired, drawling the a on anything.

"Not really," he replied. Placing his book on the counter again, Matt poured in a measured amount of water. Sitting the wooden spoon he was using to stir the meat down as well, he went to make the next part of his meal. "Well, I will say that it is going to get loud for a second because I'm using the beaters."

"Okay," came Tai's confirmation, followed by the sound of the phone being set down. Whatever conversation was going on in the background was quickly drowned out by the sound of mashed potatoes being made.

Getting the excess potato out of the beaters, the blonde rushed back to the stove and pulled the sauce pan off the burner. Picking the pieces of meat up with tongs and placing them in a glass dish, he quickly added the ingredients to make gravy. Placing the final pan of green beans on another burner and turning it on, he went back to the phone.

"Back, Tai," he said, leaning against the counter and waiting for the beans to boil.

"Hey, are you alone today?" the brunette asked.

"Yeah. Dad called and said he was going to be working late," Matt replied, enjoying the moment's rest from his normally busy routine.

"I'm coming over," Tai said adamantly, no hint of argument available in his voice. "I already asked Mom, she said it's okay. I'm not leaving you alone today of all days."

"Taichi, what's going on?" the blonde tried to ask, but was greeted only with a quick "bye" and a dial tone. Scoffing at the now-quiet device, he agitatedly replaced it on the dock, moving to the cupboard and pulling out two plates. If the other male was so eager to get over there that he wouldn't even proper hang up then it should only take him five minutes, just enough time for Matt to finish the gravy and green beans and dish up their plates.

He had just set the table and was walking into the living room when the front door burst open. Panting and with snowflakes melting on his clothes, Taichi came in just enough to swing the door closed, one hand on the back of the couch for support (**A/N:** Because I can't recall if I've said this before and I'm too lazy to go back and check, the apartment that I see Matt living in has the door opening to the living room, a wall on one side and a couch placed on the other. The wall opens up where it meets the wall opposite the door into the kitchen, and across from the kitchen is a hallway leading to the two bedrooms.). Neither noticed that the door was actually slightly ajar, only a sliver of space between it and the door, but enough to go unnoticed.

Catching his breath, Tai practically ran across the space between him and Matt, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Pushing the blonde until he was against the wall, he captured his boyfriend's mouth before the other teen could protest. A tongue gently lapping at his lower lip, Matt momentarily forgot he was pissed at Tai for wearing his shoes in the apartment.

Tai pulled back a centimeter, just enough to get words between them. "Merry Christmas," he breathed, deep passion burning in his chocolate eyes.

"Wha-" that mouth cut him off again, though this time his was open and that tongue found his prize. So that's what the whole deal was? It was Christmas? Thinking back, Matt could not remember the last time he had celebrated Christmas. It had to have been before the divorce, because his dad was too busy afterwards to even celebrate his birthday, and he rarely saw his mother. Moaning as Tai's tongue ran over his, he pushed those thoughts from his head. Thinking back that far never did him any good. Besides, what was happening in the present was much more enjoyable than a holiday he was almost too old for. Smirking against the mouth over his, Matt began to fight back, hoping to retain some semblance of dignity before he became intoxicated with the taste that was purely Taichi. Pale hands found their way into messy-looking locks, grabbing and almost tugging at the surprisingly soft strands. How Tai got his hair to defy gravity without pounds of hair gel Matt would never know. Nor did he really want to. Tai's hands found their way to the musician's hips, holding his tightly against the unyielding wall.

Breaking for air again, the dominant brunette set to work on his boyfriend's neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh before latching on at that spot that could bring out Matt's "singing voice," as Tai liked to call it. One hand falling to clutch at the material on his boyfriend's shoulder and the other trying not to yank hair out by the roots as a strangled moan found its way passed his lips. "Nnn, Tai… chi," he moaned, breath coming shallow as the younger male attacked his neck. A tanned arm looped around his waist, the other circling his torso and resting on the pale teen's shoulder.

It was then that Matt went rigid, breath caught in his throat and eyes wide. The unresponsiveness confused Tai, for while his body still shivered slightly in anticipation, most of its movement had been halted, and the grip on his shoulder was bordering on painful. Lifting his head from the developing bruise, the brunette turned slightly to gaze into his boyfriend's terrified face. Gazing back over his shoulder, Tai saw who he so desperately hoped was not behind him.

Hiroaki Ishida.

Neither knew for certain just how long the older man had been standing there, but the expression on his face and bag of groceries on the ground told them he had been there long enough. It wouldn't have taken long for him to figure it out, anyway, not with the two boys making out against a wall and his own son _moaning_ his best friend's name. He had called claiming to come home late in hopes of surprising his son by actually being home on Christmas. It seems the surprise was for him.

"H-hi, Mr. Ishida," Tai nervously stuttered, trying to gulp down his fear and failing. He really didn't know Matt's dad well, and could not accurately guess how he would react to a situation like this. If he reacted badly, it could ruin their relationship, and then Tai might have both a boyfriend and a best friend.

Tension rose as the silence drug on, no one particularly certain about what to say. Stiffly bending down and retrieving the dropped bag, Hiroaki shifted position a few time before finally speaking. "Why don't you two go sit down on the couch, I'll be in in a second," he stated, awkwardly stepping passed them into the kitchen.

Almost blue from lack of oxygen, Matt finally allowed himself to take gasping breaths, shivering both from the cold still coming in from the open door and the encounter. Making sure to close the door first, the blonde quickly obeyed his dad's order and sat on the couch, clinging to his shoulders. Tai stood for a moment longer, uncertain if he should sit close to his boyfriend to comfort him or if it would be better to keep distance between them to avoid pissing Hiroaki off more. The decision was made for him when a shaking hand reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

Hiroaki entered a moment later, obviously calmed down. His visage was soft as he took a seat in the recliner against the wall, rubbing his temple soothingly for a second before turning to his son. Matt was trying to not look anxious, but the white knuckles in Tai's sleeve did nothing to hide it. "I'm not mad at you," he said quietly, releasing a solemn sigh. His words did little to ease his son's fears, though. "Surprised, but not mad. Look, Matt, I know you need me to say this, so I will, even if I find it unnecessary; I approve." Shocked, Matt could find nothing to say in response. "I had gotten to know Tai over the years, from the times I have met him and from you, and to be honest I don't think you could find someone with a better personality and moral code. I know I came off as angry when I told you to sit down, but it was merely shock. I wasn't expecting to come home to my son kissing his best friend."

"Dad, look, I'm sorry," Matt said, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was apologizing for. For hiding it? For dating a guy?

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said, looking from Matt, to Tai, and back to the blonde. The athlete was taking a passive role in the conversation, acting as support for his boyfriend instead of trying to jump in the middle of the conversation like he normally would. "How long?"

Some of the tension had eased from the musician's face, and his knuckles were beginning to return to their normal pink color. "About a month," he replied.

"Well, at least I wasn't completely oblivious for too long," Hiroaki chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Is that why you started wearing scarves more often recently?" The red tinting of Matt's cheeks was all the answer he needed. "Well, before we go eat, I guess I should set up some ground rules. I don't care that you two are together, but I don't particularly want to _hear_ it," he said. "In other words, don't have sex when I'm home, okay?" Matt's face started burning brighter at that comment, Tai barely able to contain his laughter. Matt's innocence could be hilarious at times. "And also, don't do it on the couch, everyone uses it and I don't want to have to worry about what you two have done there, okay?"

"D-Dad!" Matt yelled, blushing fiercely. "We aren't even to that stage yet!"

"But you will be soon, and I'm just telling you for when that time comes," Hiroaki said, glad he had succeeded in lightening the mood and already standing to make his way to the kitchen.

"Dad!" Matt yelled again, obviously embarrassed.

Tai could no longer contain his laughter.

Not entirely happy, Matt stormed into the kitchen first, irately piling food onto a third plate. Before Tai could enter, Hiroaki pulled him to the side. Almost expecting a hit of some sort, he was somewhat surprised when the older man said, "I know you can't promise to stay with him forever, but if you do decide to leave please make sure you have a good reason. And make sure he understands it well, okay?"

Confused and surprised, he gave a slight nod and was quickly ushered into the kitchen.

_What was that about?_ he wondered.

* * *

Silly Matt and being too serious. Did he really think his dad would be mad? Did you? I just can see Hiroaki being very understanding because of his divorce. He'd want Matt to be happy, and if that happiness came with a penis than so be it. After all, he has had personal expreience that heterosexual relationships don't always work out.

Hiroaki's words will be explained in a later chapter. Sorry, you have to wait again XP


	14. Chapter 13: Daisuke's Mistake

First note, I dislike using the name "Davis." It just pisses me off for some reason and I don't know why. I did use Davis in this chapter to be consistent, but I did not use it for the title. Why? Because "Daisuke's Mistake" sounds better to me than "Davis' Mistake."

I meant to get this out sooner than this today (like around noon), but it has been snowing a lot here and the internet was down. It came back up so I am posting it, finally. For those of you who have been waiting a couple weeks for this, I have no excuse other than I was lazy and procrastinate _a whole bunch_ this last two weeks.

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, so if I haven't I'll say it here. In this, Yamato and Takeru are half brothers like in the Japanese version of the series. I might have said they were full brothers before, and if so I'm sorry, but half brothers suit my purposes _a lot_ better in the chapter after next. Which, by the way, will explain what was said at the end of the previous chapter, as well as the reason I made Yamato extremely pessimistic.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. You are what keep me going. My writing is my life (as corny as that sounds), and I'm going to start on writing an actual book. It will not be related to these stories in any way; it is entirely my own. I am giving you a heads up because that means it will take some of my time as well and I might be later updating at times.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Daisuke's Mistake**

Winter break had ended and school started back up again. There were many complaints from students, some from the amount of homework teachers decided to dish out, and some from lack of sleep because they stayed up too long playing the new video games they had received for Christmas. Tai was one of the latter. He let out a yawn for the umpteenth time that class period, eyelids drooping, chin resting in the palm of his hand. Matt had already decided that if they teen fell asleep again he wasn't waking him; that was what the idiot got for staying up until five in the morning with Assassin's Creed. Sure, the newest one had just come out, but that didn't mean he had to finish it in one night.

His head was slowly sinking to the desk when the bell rang, jolting him awake instantly. "Food!" Tai hollered, jumping up so fast he almost ran out the door without his stuff. When he did gather up his papers and books, he nearly tripped and sent the contents of his arms scattering across the floor. Quietly cursing, the brunette scrambled to pick everything back up.

Pale fingers brushed against his as both went for the same assignment. Looking up from the partially cleaned mess, he stared right into Matt's oceanic blue eyes. The older male was sitting on the balls of his feet, one arm holding his belongings while his other hand went to work gathering up Tai's spilt ones. "Thanks, Matt," the athlete said, smiling broadly as he stood.

"Try slowing down a bit," Matt replied, standing as well. "The lunchroom isn't going to run out of food if you aren't there within five minutes."

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Tai looked down. "Yeah, I know," he said. "Well, I'll see you at lunch!" And with that, he sprinted off down the hall again, this time being careful to not dump his stuff.

Shaking his head at his boyfriend's antics, Matt calmly walked over to his locker, spinning the dial until the metal door opened. Placing his completed homework and books on the shelf, he gingerly retrieved his bag. Closing his locker, he took two steps towards it, and Tai, before he stopped, looking down at his bag again. With one guilty look down that hall, he turned around and made his way to the stairs.

"Where's Matt?" Tai asked as he arrived at the table the Digidestined had taken as their own. He hadn't even sat his tray down, and instead was scanning the filling room for the other male.

"He's not with you?" Sora asked, also stopping to look around.

"No, he's not," he replied, voice low. "Watch this for me, please. I think I know where he is," the teenager said, placing his tray on the table before making his way through the crowd towards the exit. If Matt wasn't at the table, there is only one other place he would be; the roof. And if he really was on the roof, he was in for some major trouble.

He was in the middle of an inhale when the door slammed open, causing him to choke on the smoke headed for his lungs. He didn't need to turn around to know who had caught him. "You're still doing that, Yamato?" came Tai's voice, an icy hint as cold as Matt's own laced into the words. The blonde didn't reply, instead moving the cigarette to take another deep breath of the harmful fumes. That was the last one he got before Tai snatched it away, closing his hand harshly around the lit end.

In a panic, Matt swatted the closed hand, startling Tai enough to drop the burning cigarette. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed, fiercely grabbing the injured hand to examine the burn. It wasn't as bad as some hand been, but it still shouldn't have happened. The musician knew he shouldn't have even considered coming up there, but he also knew he had to. He wasn't stupid, he could see it just as clear as Tai could; he was addicted. It wasn't too bad, yet, but if he didn't stop soon it could turn a lot worse. He'd heard of people who went through one or more packs a day, and Matt knew that might be him in a couple years (**A/N: **Maybe sooner, I honestly don't know much about addiction, so I could be getting some stuff wrong about it. If I do/am, sorry) if he didn't get it under control soon. "Tai, I'm sorry," he apologized, hanging his head. "It's just… hard."

The brunette's features softened considerably, and, sighing, he pulled Matt into a tight hug. There was the faint smell of smoke on the blonde's hair, an odor that made Tai want to turn away. But he knew better. He understood that he needed to just _be_ there, to stand with Matt through this or he would never get out. Turning away from the problem would do nothing to solve it.

* * *

"I see you found him," Sora said as they entered the cafeteria. From the way Matt wouldn't look at her, she knew he was caught again. The girl was starting to doubt her former words, that Matt's repetitive use of cigarettes was indeed caused by the start of addiction. He had Tai now, after all, and he still couldn't bring himself to quit.

"Yeah, he stopped at his locker is all," Tai lied, taking his seat and tray back from Sora, scrutinizing the contents to make sure nothing was stolen while he was away. Almost everyone bought the story, but Sora was not convinced. She knew Matt, she had dated him and saw his bad habits in the time she had, and his actions betrayed the truth.

As he guiltily took his seat, she stood to throw away her trash. Acting as if she dropped something when she passed him, Sora stopped long enough to whisper in his ear, "You were caught, huh?" Matt didn't respond, but he didn't need to; his lack of appetite (not that he ate much normally) was answer enough.

Lunch didn't last much longer, and Matt still hadn't touched his food by the time the bell rang. Quickly gathering up his things, the blonde tried to vacate the area before he could be cornered. It didn't work. He had barely set foot in the hall when a tan hand gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him down one of the halls. "Tai, let me go," he protested, struggling against the strong hand. "This isn't funny, Tai. This isn't even towards our class, Tai. Art is that way."

He was pulled into an empty classroom. Before any more objections could be spoken, Tai pulled his boyfriend flush with his chest and smashed their lips together, slipping his tongue in in the shock. A small, short moan rose in the musician's throat, his natural reaction to the pressure on his mouth. The stimulation didn't blanket his mind, though, and he pushed the athlete away. "What the hell are you doing?" Matt hissed, voice quiet.

"Payment," Tai stated, eyes intense with a harsh emotion, maybe disappointment. There was no need to specify; Matt understood perfectly well, and he held back his berating words. He owed Tai that luxury, at least, for covering up his smoking. He had to work harder at getting better, at getting passed his addiction.

Reentering the hall, Matt took a stick of gum from his pocket. They didn't seem to be helping much, but he had to try.

It wasn't but ten minutes into sixth period before the disagreement between the two teenagers lifted. Classes flew by after that, and soon they were standing at the front gate. Taking time to look at his watch, Matt suddenly stopped. "Sorry, Tai, but I have somewhere I need to go," he said, expression apologetic.

"Again?" the brunette complained, familiar with this situation. At least once a week (except for when they were on break) Matt would vanish somewhere. He didn't ask, but the blonde didn't divulge the location either.

"Yeah. It's a promise I made a while ago, so I have to go," he replied. "I'll see you this weekend."

"I have a game this weekend," Tai reminded him, looking skeptical. "And it's still a couple days away."

"And I'll be there at the game, and we can go home together, okay?" Matt asked, already turning to leave. "I have to go now, bye."

Sora managed to sneak up on him, Tai's attention too focused on the older male's back. "He's still doing that?" she asked, causing him to jump.

"What do you mean 'still'?" the athlete inquired, eyeing the tennis player suspiciously.

"He started that while we were still dating," she replied, flinching slightly at the reminder. She might tell them she's fine, but both boys knew she was still recovering. "I'm not sure where he goes, but he doesn't see it as important enough to tell me. I'm guessing he hasn't told you either."

"No, he hasn't…"

* * *

"Well, you're doing a good deal better than you had in the beginning," the blonde stated, lying back down on the desks. "I must admit, you've improved more than I thought you would have in this short amount of time."

"Hey!" the young voice snapped, a tanned hand quickly snatching back the paper in Matt's outstretched hand. "I can do it if I try!"

"So basically you're saying you don't try," he teased, sitting up and ruffling Davis' cinnamon spikes. The twelve-year-old pouted, looking away sharply and sticking out his lower lip. "Come on, kid, I was complimenting you. I'm saying your progress has been outstanding. I'm sure he'll be proud of you. Just wait until you see the results of this on your test tomorrow. Now, here's some more," he said, setting another piece of paper in front of the younger Digidestined.

Like those funny cartoons seen on TV, the smaller soccer player stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth in concentration. "You do realize your gay, right?" he asked out of the blue, and probably would have startled the musician had he not done it every time they met up like this, several time each session.

"That is not the answer to five," he replied, tapping the scratch paper at the part where Davis' calculations went astray.

"Oh, um… Right," he nervously stuttered, chuckling sheepishly.

"You'll show me the results tomorrow, right?" Matt asked, resting his elbows on the table.

"Of course, Yamato!" Davis cheered, grinning up at the blonde in a manner so like Tai's that the older brunette appeared in the sixteen-year-old's head, causing him to blush.

* * *

He waved to his boyfriend as he again walked off towards the middle school, eager to see the results of his and Davis' hard work. When he first started tutoring the kid, Davis was getting D's and F's, with the occasional C. His last math test, which was his worst subject before, was a low B. The athlete's goal was to get an A, even if it was simply an 89.51.

"So how'd you do?" the blonde asked once he was right behind the obviously excited pre-teen.

Spinning fast enough to snap his neck, the smaller brunette shoved the paper in Matt's face, almost impaling it on the musician's nose. "Look, look! I got a 94!" he hollered, jumping up and down enthusiastically. "I actually_ understood_ it, all of it!"

"I'm sure Ken will be very proud of you," Matt replied, smiling slightly and playfully ruffling the brunette's hair. He was happy for Davis, but he was also happy for himself. They would cancel their tutoring session for the next few weeks, to see if Davis could maintain his grades. Of course, if there was anything the kid had problems with he could always call Matt for help.

"Thank you, Yamato," the brunette cooed, throwing his arms around the blonde's neck and kissing him before Matt could react. He released the older teenager a second later, still all grins and smiles.

"What the hell was that…" Matt started, trailing off when he spotted the older brunette. Tai was standing in the hallway several feet away, eyes half closed and hurt. He could tell he was on the verge of crying, and quickly turned on his heels to run. "Wait, Tai! This isn't what it looks like, I swear it! Taichi!" the blonde yelled, taking off after his fleeing boyfriend.

Davis was left behind, stunned and confused for a few seconds. When he finally sorted through the facts, the pit of his stomach fell. Looking back, he realized that not once had Matt denied being gay, but instead just found a way to change the subject. This entire time he knew, and while he had dated Sora at first, it was painfully obvious now that Matt and Tai were going out. And Tai had come in on the worst situation. He hadn't meant that kiss; it was just a way to tease Matt. Leaning against the wall, he whined, "Keeeen… I may have just ruined a relationship."

"Taichi, wait, please!" Matt begged, running through the empty hall after the distraught brunette. Doors flew open as the two ran through them, Tai nearly slipping on the icy sidewalk outside. They turned towards home, Tai showing little sign of wear but Matt breathing extremely heavily. His legs grew heavy and he slowed down, finally stopping and leaning against the chain linked fence around the soccer field for support. Knees collapsing, he could do nothing but sit there and breath as Tai disappeared from view. Still struggling to get enough oxygen, snow flakes started fluttering down from the sky. Head hung and snow gathering around his body, Matt gave in and let himself cry.

* * *

Poor Matt, he just can't catch a break, can he?

I love your reviews, my life line readers. Don't leave me hanging please!


	15. Chapter 14: Kiss and Making up

I really meant to get this up sooner (my usual excuse, sorry), but I was kind of... distracted. First of all, I have over 38k words on the book I'm writing (which is close to 3/4th the length of this story) and then Christmas came up and I got quite a few games, so I haven't been writing much...

I do have an explanation for Tai's reaction in this section, which I will explain now. Matt started vanishing to see Davis while he was still dating Sora. Davis is very similar to Tai. Tai suspected that Matt was using Davis as a substitute for him, since he didn't think he could be with Tai at the time. After seeing how it felt like to be with him, Tai suspected that Matt came to like Davis more, and didn't want to hear Matt say that so he avoided/cut-off/all-but-broke-up with him so he wouldn't hurt as much. So, basically, it was Tai being a self-conscious idiot. That was the reasoning I came up with, at least. Probably a bit OOC for Tai, but I think it wouldfit him pretty well, since he is normally so laid back; there has to be something that he loses control with and can't think straight with, right?

Also, next chapter will explain Matt's attitude (a chapter I've been waiting for for a while now). Unfortunately, with the fact that I am writing a book (that will have a sequel, btw) and I have a few other fanfictions I'm writing, I am not sure how long it will be until the next chapter is uploaded. Please forgive me for the long delays...

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 14: Kiss and Making Up**

"Tai, please open the door," Matt pleaded, banging on the wooden barrier a couple more times before resting his head dejectedly against it. How many minutes had he stood out in the snow now, tears freezing to his skin. He knew Tai was inside and heard him, for several times he heard the other male shout at him to go away. "Tai, please, just hear me out," he begged, waiting hopefully for a response. Only the howl of the winter wind greeted his ears, the tips almost glowing red from the cold.

He opened his mouth several more times to speak, but found the saliva metaphorically frozen and unable to speak. All the strength draining from his knees, Matt slumped to the ground in defeat, trying to step the burning flow from his eyes. What good did crying do him? It wasn't going to make Tai listen, not when he was holed up in his room out of sight. What good would sitting on his knees in the snow do? It might get him pneumonia, which in turn would make him miss school or have to suffer through it, prolonging his time away from the stupid brunette who wouldn't stop long enough to listen.

Not wanting to stay and get sick, but also not wanting to leave, the musician turned around and sat down, leaning against the door. Drawing his knees up to his chest, the blonde pulled the ends of his scarf over his hands, exhaling warm air over the freezing digits. Maybe he could get in the house out of pity.

He nearly jumped when the door opened, momentarily excited until he saw Kari. "Tai wanted me to tell you to go away," she said gravely, looking thoroughly miserable.

"Oh," he replied, unable to look her in the face. "I-I see." She watched as he slowly stood, brushing the collected snowflakes from his pants. He visibly shook, though it was unclear as to whether it was because of the cold or… something else. It wasn't until he was heading back down the driveway when she spoke up.

"What happened between you two?" she called, stepping out barefoot into the snow.

Matt turned around and gave her a fake smile, trying to quell her fears but only feeding them. "Your brother and I just got into a little altercation," he assured, walking back enough to gently ruffle her hair. "There is school tomorrow; go to bed and don't lose any sleep on it"

"Okay…" she replied quietly, trying to hide her disbelief; the last thing Matt needed was another worry. Stepping back into the house, the younger brunette watched with despair as he vanished into the darkening streets. It wasn't difficult for the conservative preteen to figure out what had happened. It was no 'little' altercation, otherwise Tai would not be so adamant about avoiding his boyfriend. The only thing she could think of that was damning enough to warrant such a reaction was cheating, but Matt wouldn't cheat, would he? She couldn't help but chew on her lower lip nervously as she closed the door, hoping the matter could sort itself out because she knew neither teenager would confide in their sibling.

* * *

He hoped that a good night's rest would be all Tai needed to think the situation over logically. The blonde even rushed to the crossroad where he normally met up with his boyfriend. Several minutes passed with no sign of the regularly late teen, so Matt didn't worry at first. But five minutes turned into ten, ten into twenty, and the musician couldn't stand there any longer without being late to class. Swallowing harshly, he turned away and quickly started off towards the school, hoping that he had just missed the athlete.

Passing by his locker since he already had his books, Matt entered the classroom just as the bell rang. He almost cheered when he saw that messy mop of brunette hair, and he made his way over to the boy, taking his usual seat. "Hey, I missed you this morning," he whispered as the teacher started talking.

"I left early," Tai replied harshly, staring out the window. Not even the slight taps on his shoulder could get him to look towards the worrying musician.

"Look, Taichi, is this about what you saw yesterday?" Matt asked, head low like a kicked puppy.

"I don't want to talk about it," the athlete growled in response, teeth grinding together and eyes squeezed shut.

"That wasn't what it looked like, I swear," he started, a hint of desperation in his tone.

"I don't want to talk about it," Tai repeated, clenching his fist as well.

"Please believe me, there is nothing going on between-" the blonde began, flinching as Tai cut him off.

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" he yelled, standing forcefully enough to knock his chair over. The entire room went silent, many staring at the standing teen. Matt was practically curled into a ball, eyes closed and facing the ground. "I'm not feeling too well, I think I'll go to the infirmary," Tai stated, mutely gathering his things and leaving, slamming the door behind himself and causing his boyfriend to flinch again.

A sense of dread and helplessness washed over the blonde, that pessimistic side of him saying he screwed things up again, once again he ruined things. It was not easy to anger Tai, and yet he managed to do so repeatedly. First he started smoking, then he couldn't quit (what made him think he even could quit? the voice asked), then he made Tai think he was cheating on him.

Momentarily, he thought of claiming sick as well, skipping class and spending the day on the roof or heading home, but figured it would look too _convenient_ and only get him in trouble. He just wouldn't show up to his next class, go home because of a stomach ache that only partially didn't exist.

Taking his time, Matt slowly gathered up his things. Absently shoving loose paper and books into his normally desolate bag, the blonde stood dejected and walked from the room, keeping his eyes on the floor. He didn't hear Sora calling for him, didn't see the strange stares several people were sending his way, didn't even notice he passed right by Tai, who was completely ignoring him. Sickness started rising in his throat, the taste of bile touching the back of his tongue. He stopped partway home to retrieve a cigarette from the back pocket on his bag, lighting it up and taking a deep breath of smoke to conceal the sourness of sickness before he continued on his way. Leaning against a chain link fence for support, he took several more deep breaths of nicotine before he steadied himself, still feeling his stomach churning.

He barely made it to the toilet in time. A few splatters of vomit hit the floor, but most of his stomach contents made it into the porcelain throne. After heaving several more times he stood and wiped this face with a rag, rinsing it and his mouth out with water before tossing the soil washcloth into the hamper. The mere thought of losing Tai did not sit well, physically making him sick.

The cigarette, which he has placed on the counter before he started throwing up, was pretty much done by then, so he snuffed it out and threw it over the railing on the balcony, taking the pack out of his pocket and lighting up a second cigarette. Ignoring the burn in his throat and eyes as the smoke irritated his body, the blonde continued to pulled cancerous gases into his lungs, all but reeling in the pain. Exhaling the thick smoke, he couldn't help but wonder how long Tai would be angry at him; a day, a week, a month, longer? It was hard to tell. The few people the athlete did get angry at he had kept grudges with a long time. To have the person he loved hate him was devastating to the self-conscious teen.

Not entirely sure how much time had passed but realizing that his current cigarette had burned down to the butt, he tossed it to the balcony floor and stepped on it, taking a third on from his pack. He was on his fourth or fifth when his dad got home, one of the few days he got off work early. "Yamato, what are you doing home?" the older man asked, coming up behind his son. Receiving no answer, he stepped out onto the narrow balcony, shaking his head at the lit cigarette between the boy's pointer and middle fingers. "I thought you wanted to quit those," Hiroaki stated, eyes falling to the several cigarette butts at the teenager's feet.

"I changed my mind," Matt replied, taking another deep breath of carcinogens.

"Did something happen?" the man asked, leaning against the railing as well. Part of him wanted to yank the cigarette from his son's hand and throw the pack in the trash. But, he knew that would not solve the problem. Matt's addiction would only drive him to buy more, and Hiroaki had no way of keeping him from smoking them.

"You could say that," the musician answered, voice hollow.

"Nothing I can do to stop you?" he asked.

"Nope," Matt said in response, staring out towards Tai's place. Even when all seemed hopeless to him he still stared towards his best friend's—boyfriend's—place, searching for some sort of answer to his problem. Putting the cigarette to his lips again, Matt realized all he could do was wait and hope that Tai forgave him.

* * *

Things were not looking good. At every opportunity he would sneak away from school and see if the incident he accidentally caused was resolved yet. And things were not looking good. He didn't even know Matt smoked, but he had seen the musician with a cigarette a few times, mostly at lunch on the roof. The brunette was obviously not talking to the blonde still, which was also obviously driving Matt towards some degree of depression.

Chewing on his lower lips, the younger brunette slowly slinked down the street, his virtual tail between his legs. He hadn't wanted to involve Ken in this, but it seemed like he had no choice. Davis just didn't quite know how to fix the mess he created; well, he had an idea, but he needed Ken's permission. Knocking on the door quietly, he waited patiently for someone to answer.

He almost took a step back when Ken's father answered it, but the man calmly moved aside and motioned him in, seeming to finally be used to the new developments between his son and the other soccer star. "He's in his room, messing with his computer," the man said, then left the room.

Unable to say much in return, Davis toed off his shoes and moved silently through the apartment. In fact, he moved so quietly that he actually made Ken jump when he said his name, the bluenette too engrossed in whatever program he was working on to notice the other Digidestined's presence. "Geez, make some noise next time Daisuke," Ken berated, not used to being started by the normally boisterous preteen. "Wait, you can actually move _without_ causing a disturbance?"

_Yeah, without causing a disturbance,_ he sarcastically repeated, shamefully taking the paper from his bag dated a week earlier and handing it to the bluenette. It was the same one that caused the whole disturbance that brought him to Ken's room.

"Wow, this is good, Daisuke," the younger boy praised, giving Davis a good pat on the shoulder.

"I've caused some trouble," the brunette mumbled, though not inaudibly. "And before you ask, no I didn't cheat." Shaking his head slightly, Ken set the paper down on his desk and waited for the boy to explain.

Taking a deep breath, Davis quickly went through the events that led up to the misunderstanding (Ken glaring slightly when Davis admitted that he jokingly kissed Matt, though he wouldn't admit it was because of jealously when the brunette asked), Ken shaking his head again and gathering up his coat once Davis had finished. "I guess we don't really have a choice, do we?" Ken said to the brunette's inquisitive look. "If telling Tai that we are together will mend the wound _you_ created then I don't have the option of refusing."

"I'm sorry, Ken," Davis apologized, unable to make eye contact with his boyfriend until the bluenette forced his chin up and meshed their lips together.

"Just hurry up. We do have school tomorrow, and I don't want to be out too late," he said, chuckling as Davis tripped over his feet in his rush. Helping the older boy to his feet, they luckily had no more delays between Ken's place and Tai's, though the former's mother did give her son permission to stay over at Davis' place, not wanting either of them to have to return home alone in the dark.

"Davis, Ken, what are you two doing here?" Kari asked, quite surprised by the unexpected visit.

"I need to talk to Tai," Davis replied, barely even noticing she was in a nightgown and her hair was wet. Where a year ago he might have been thrilled by the visit, he was now completely uninterested; until he realized she had wet hair and was probably freezing with the door open. "Um… we can come back tomorrow," he said hurriedly.

"No, no, come in," Kari said, equally as quick, stepping aside so they could come in. "Brrr, kind of cold out there, isn't it? Do you want some hot cocoa?"

"No, we're fine," Ken interrupted, grabbing his boyfriend by the arm and tugging him towards the stairs. "We'll get something warm to drink once we get back to Daisuke's place." The fact he used the brunette's full name instead of his nickname was not lost on the girl, but she didn't look into it too far. Davis _was_ the person closest to Ken, so it was probably nothing.

The door was open when they got upstairs, and Davis chuckled as they peered inside. "Strange to see you actually studying," Davis said, laughing slightly. Chocolate eyes turned on him, the scorned brunette quickly standing and moving to close the door. The younger athlete's foot was the only thing keeping it from shutting. "Wait, I need to talk to you," he tried.

"Go home, Davis, I do not want to talk to you," Tai growled, still stinging from the scene he witnessed a week before.

"It's important, Tai," the smaller boy started. "Really, really important."

"Go away, _Daisuke_," the older boy hissed, spitting the name out with contempt.

"Tai, open the door," Ken cut in before Davis could speak. For a moment nothing happened, then the weight on the door abruptly left and Davis fell forward.

"Ken, what are you doing here?" the teenager asked, not looking quite as resentful towards the bluenette.

"I believe Daisuke has some explaining to do," the more docile preteen stated. "I am here to back up his story, so please just hear him out."

Grumbling slightly, the soccer player slowly gave in, motioning for them to close the door behind them. "So what do you want?" he asked, plopping down on his bed.

"What you saw in that hallway between me and Matt-" Davis began.

"Matt and I," Ken corrected, thumping the boy on the back of the head when he glared at him. "You can get an A in math, but forget proper grammar."

"Anyway, it wasn't what it looked like, I promise," the younger brunette continued.

"Then what was it, because it sure looked like you two were kissing to me?" Tai asked.

"That was a joke," Davis replied. "Where to start…" he mumbled, taking several moments to figure out how far back he needed to go. Guess there would be best…

_ "Matt! Hey, wait up a sec!" the brunette behind him yelled._

_ Turning around, the musician sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, what do you want?"_

"_Can I ask you for a little favor?" Davis asked, coming to a halt behind the blonde. At the slight nod, he continued, "Well, you see, I haven't been doing too well in a few of my classes. I was wondering if you would be willing to tutor me."_

"_Why don't you just ask Ken?" Matt asked in return, not entirely seeing why the boy was coming to him instead of his best friend._

"_Well, um, you see, I kind of wanted to get my grades up without Ken knowing. I wanted to impress him, you know, without him helping me," Davis said quickly, almost stumbling over his words._

"_Alright, I'll help you. On the condition that you tell me why you want to impress him so much," Matt teased, already deciding to help the boy whether he spilled the beans or not._

"_It's, w-well, because… um… I'," the boy hurriedly spewed, garbling his words together. It was only experience with Tai's fast talking that allowed Matt to disentangle the words._

"_Wow, wait, seriously?" the blonde asked, quite shocked by the revelation._

"_Um… yeah," Davis replied, blushing deeply. Matt's laugh made him look down in shame a bit, figuring the musician was finding the prospect of two boys together funny._

"_Geez, Davis, I figured you'd lie your way around the question or something," Matt said, slowly quieting his chuckles. "Come on, we have a studying schedule to figure out."_

"And that's pretty much what happened," Davis finished, looking quite flustered. Ken's reaction was the same as it was the first time he relayed the information to him, a slight roll of his eyes that practically yelled "you stupid idiot." "After that, since he knew I was gay, I constantly teased him about being gay too. It didn't occur to me until after I saw your reaction to my latest joke that he never actually refuted me, only changed the subject."

Davis finally mustered up the courage to look towards his mentor, who was now looking down shamefully. "That's honestly all it was?" the teenager asked, internally berating himself for what he must have put Matt through, knowing the blonde had a bad habit of blowing things out of proportion.

"Yes, it was just jokes and study sessions. I kind of caught him off guard, but I wanted to give him one last joke to tell him I was serious," Davis said. "I could tell, after all, that he had attractions to guys."

"I see," Tai whispered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before he stood. "I think you two should be getting home now," he added a little louder, looking around the room until he spotted a jacket.

"What are you going to do?" Ken asked, casually standing and stretching.

"To see if I can fix this," Tai stated, pulling one arm into a sleeve as he quickly left the room. Barely waving bye to his sister as he stumbled out the door, the athlete ran along a very familiar path. How many times over the last few years had he sprinted down that road, eager to see his best friend—boyfriend the last month or so? He was eager now, alright; eager to see if Matt would forgive him. Part of him—a very large part—berated himself for even holding the grudge in the first place and not being willing to listen to Matt's explanation. He was just so scared that the explanation would be the opposite, that there actually was something between the two and he was going to lose the most important thing to him again. It just felt better to cut things off himself than to be let go.

Rushing up the outside steps, since the elevator was extremely slow, he didn't even wait to catch his breath before rapidly knocking on the door. A sluggish blonde answered the door, involuntarily holding his breath when he saw who it was. Tai was also too winded to talk, so they stood there in silence for a moment until he was able to catch his breath. "Yamato, I'm so sorry," he finally managed to breath out. "I just… I guess I was afraid. That there actually-"

The worry quickly left the blonde's features, replaced by a small, warm smile. "Just shut up and kiss me," he interrupted, reaching forward and grabbing the hair on the back on the brunette's head. Tai was slightly caught off guard, but quickly responded. Tongues met in the blonde's mouth, the musician surprisingly not trying to pull his partner in and away from whatever eyes might be prying in on them. Smirking into the kiss, Tai didn't question his luck, instead just pulling Matt out of the apartment and into his embrace, glad that his worrying was for naught. The mere thought of Matt holding a grudge seemed like a ridiculous notion now.

"Ahem! Do you two mind taking that inside? Or at least moving out of the way so I can get inside?" Hiroaki asked, precariously balancing a briefcase and lunchbox.

"Sorry, Dad," Matt blushed, grabbing Tai's wrist and pulling him inside. "Stay for dinner?"

"Need you even ask?" Tai retorted.

* * *

There will probably be little explanation of how Davis and Ken got together in this story. I will, though, most likely make a short (3-6 chapters long) story about how they got together, though. I will post the name once I figure out what it is and start posting it.


	16. Chapter 15: Episode

Since it isn't actually stated until later in this chapter, this one is actually about two weeks after the previous chapter, making it about at the end of January. The next one will be another two weeks ahead.

Remember way back when in the beginning before Tai and Matt got together when I told you that Matt's pessimism will be explained? Well, Hiroaki explains it here. As well as the reasoning for a his words a couple chapters back.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 15: Episode**

A persistent ringing woke him up. At first he didn't really hear it, his subconscious mind changing it into the whistle of a train. It seemed kind of weird to him since he was on a spaceship in the delta quadrant, but as he started to wake from the dream he realized what it really was; the phone. Jolting to a sitting position, the brunette sleepily rubbed his eyes. Anger swelled in the pit of his stomach when he looked at his alarm clock, the red numbers flaring up a two-twenty-one a.m. He almost just laid back down, but the desire to cuss out the person who dared disturb his valuable rest was more appealing, so he sluggishly got up and ambled into the hallway.

"Hello?" he asked irately, stifling a yawn behind his hand.

"T-Tai?" a very weak sounding Matt said. "Is that you, Tai?"

Suddenly worried, all thought of yelling at him left his mind. "Yeah, Matt, what's wrong?" he asked in return, voice soft and comforting. "You don't sound too good, are you okay?"

"You love me, don't you? You'd never leave me, right?" the blonde breathed quietly.

"Of course I love, and why would I leave you? Is that all you wanted? Why's you call so late?" he questioned, growing more worried with every word his musician said. It didn't sound like the Matt he had fallen for at all. If anything, he sounded like a scared, confused child.

"Time? What time is it? Is it late? Oh, Tai, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have woke you," he stated solemnly, hanging up before Tai could reply.

Staring dumbfounded at the receiver, the athlete quickly tossed the phone back onto the docking station and ran to his room. The noise, mostly from his running, was enough to disturb his parents, his father groggily stumbling down the hall to check in on what was wrong. "What are you doing?" the older man asked, causing his son to jump out of his skin and trip over the pants just partially on his legs, falling harshly to the floor.

"Ah, Dad," the teenager chuckled nervously once he recovered, carefully standing and pulling the jeans up. "I got a call from Matt a moment ago and he seemed… kind of out of it. I'm worried about him," he explained, rushing around for a jacket now. With the mess on the floor of his room it's a miracle he was able to even find a clean pair of jeans.

"That was what the phone was?" his dad asked (I'm afraid the only parents whose names I remember are Matt's dad and Takuya's dad (Season four's equivalent of Taichi for those who haven't seen it), because both are Hiroaki), opening a dresser drawer and retrieving a fresh sweatshirt. "It was so urgent it couldn't wait until morning?"

"He kind of just hung up on me after apologizing, didn't even say goodbye," the brunette said in reply, gratefully taking the sweatshirt. "Matt _never_ does that. And his voice was so quiet and… for lack of a better word, scared, that _I_ don't want to wait until morning."

Grabbing the fifteen-year-old's wrist as he went to weasel between him and the door, Tai's dad said, "Just be careful on your way over, okay?"

"Of course, Dad," Tai replied, sprinting off once he was released. Still putting on his left shoe as he stumbled out the door and slammed it shut behind himself, he ran off down the street.

A woman, maybe in her mid-forties, was standing outside Matt's apartment door when he arrived. Her gaze turned from the closed door to him as he approached, hurriedly grabbing his arm once it became clear he was heading towards it. "Kid, what are you doing?" she asked nervously, tightening her grip when he tried to remove her hand.

"I'm Matt's friend," the brunette stated, glaring daggers up at her. One hand still worked on removing her hand from his arm.

"Look, Matt isn't… in the best mood right now. I've already called his dad, so you should just go home," the woman replied.

"But he called me," Tai growled, still struggling against her; for an older-looking lady she was quite strong. The momentary shock from the fact that the teenager had actually called someone gave Tai enough leeway to get free, rushing to the door before she could capture him again. Yanking the door open, only his quick reflexes kept him from becoming quite close with a TV remote.

"Get out!" an outraged blonde yelled, gathering up his next missile and launching it at his boyfriend. This one was a pillow, and luckily not as damaging because it did actually connect with Tai's face.

"Matt, it's me!" the soccer star shouted, trying to be heard over the roar of "get out!" "Matt, calm down!" he tried again, ducking under a second couch pillow.

"I said get out!" Matt yelled in response, picking up something a lot more dangerous, a glass vase.

"Yamato! Stop it!" Tai yelled, staring through the darkened living room of the apartment into where he thought were the musician's cerulean eyes.

The arm prepared to throw the vase suddenly halted, almost as if the blonde suddenly realized just who he was throwing objects at. "Tai?" came the weak inquiry. The dark form that had to be Matt slowly relaxed. The loud crash was the vase being released and breaking into many pieces. "Taichi, what are you doing here?" he asked feebly, weakly walking around the couch and towards the door. Shaky hands grabbed at the clothing covering his chest as the blonde stumbled into the faint light created by the streetlights. A flow of tears was visible from the corners of his eyes for a second until he buried his face in Tai's chest, knee's collapsing underneath him. Both boys would have fallen to the floor had Tai not braced himself and caught Matt as he fell. Finding quite a few difficulties in keeping the crying musician up, he let them fall to their knees, moving his arms to comfortingly embrace his boyfriend.

The woman moved slowly and silently until she stood right next to him, looking down at the brunette in awe. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone other than Takeru that can calm him," she said softly, making Tai jump; he had forgotten that she was there, and now was worried that she would figure out that his behavior was a little more than just friendly. His fearful expression queued her into their true relationship, and she chuckled lightly. "So that is why he trusts you, huh? You should take him inside; his dad should be home in half an hour at most. I'll just call him and tell him he doesn't need to pick up Takeru."

Nodding to the strange woman, Tai shifted his boyfriend a bit so one arm was under the blonde's knees, allowing him to pick up the musician and hold him close to his chest. Cooing sweet sounds into the sobbing teen's ear and rubbing soothing circles on his back. Sitting down and gently moving Matt off his lap, the brunette protectively hugged his boyfriend as close to his body as he could, never stopping the soothing sounds that seemed to quiet the sobs a bit.

Noise outside the door told Tai that Hiroaki was finally getting home. He immediately made the "shh" sound as the older man came in. "He just got to sleep," Tai whispered, softly stroking Matt's blonde locks. Sighing as he quietly slipped off his coat and set his briefcase on the floor, Hiroaki ambled into the room and sat in a chair opposite the couch. "Hiroaki, what was wrong with Yamato?"

Sighing again, the man rubbed his temples tiredly. "Its part of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," he started, opening his mouth to continue talking before Tai cut him off.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? What happened?" the brunette asked worriedly, barely able to remain quiet.

"I was getting to that," Hiroaki stated, rubbing his temples tiredly again. "Yamato was eight when Nancy (**A/N:** That is Takeru's mother's name, right? If not, please tell me so I can correct it.) and I got divorced. He was such a smart child, even then, and understood exactly what that meant. And he blames both us, and himself.

"About a month before I asked her for a divorce we went to her grandmother's place out in the country. Takeru had never met his grandmother, Yamato's grandmother-in-law, and she was getting ill again. Nancy wanted them to meet her at least once, and her mother's doctor had told her that she had less than a fifty percent chance of recovery.

"She wanted to talk to my ex-wife about inheritance issues and she wanted me to join in as well, so Nancy left Takeru in Yamato's care. Yamato wanted to go look at the creek, and since he had to watch Takeru he took him with him." Noticing Tai's slight flinch at the implications of his words, Hiroaki nodded and continued, "As you're guessing, Takeru fell in the creek. Yamato said he saw a snake slithering through the water and took his eye off his little brother for just a minute or two.

"Nancy yelled at him a lot when he returned, tail between his legs and dragging his soaking brother along behind him. She wouldn't listen to me when I tried to tell her he was only eight and she shouldn't have put Takeru in his care. We got into a huge spat over it, Nancy even going so far as to insult Yamato for being irresponsible and putting his brother's life in danger. When I yelled back at her to respect our son, she made it painfully clear that Yamato was my son, not hers. He happened to overhear everything. Our marriage was already going down hill and we had fought many times before, but that was the first time he saw it. A month later we started the divorce process.

"Yamato knew that people get a divorce because they don't get along anymore, like people who stop being friends. He blamed himself because the first time he saw us argue was because of him. He never forgave himself for it, and he never truly forgave us. After that point, he became withdrawn and refused to talk to me. He would have episodes where he would get angry and not let anyone near him, except for Takeru. Concerned, I took him to a councilor, and she told me that he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The episodes he would go into only happened at night and were like waking nightmares, and when he was in them he basically went back to that angry, frightened, eight-year-old child that was watching his family break apart. He was seeing us betray him, unable to get passed the little mistake he made. The only one he felt didn't betray him was Takeru, so whenever he went into an episode I had to bring Takeru over to calm him down.

"Takeru was the only person Yamato would trust, fearing that if he started to trust people again then he would be betrayed. At the same time, because of how cruelly my ex-wife made it clear that she had no relation to him, he felt that people didn't want to be around him.

"Then he met you. You were the first person he would let get close him in over four years. That is why I told you to make your reasoning very clear if you were to ever leave him."

A fresh sense of dread washed over the brunette. "I must have hurt him really bad when I suddenly stopped talking to him a couple weeks ago," he stated quietly, afraid to look at Hiroaki just incase the man was angry at him. "He acted like it was no big deal, but what if that is what led to this."

"Even if it is, Matt has already forgiven you for it, though he might have blamed himself for withholding information from you," Hiroaki said, getting up and placing a hand on Tai's shoulder. "And you should, too. Instead of dreading it, learn from it."

Turning to stare down at the sleeping figure on his shoulder, Tai couldn't help but smile. "I'll keep that in mind," he said lovingly.

Matt shifted slightly, stirring from his slumber. "Taichi? Dad?" the blonde asked, rubbing sleepy eyes and sitting up.

"I'll never let you go into another episode again," Tai said, placing one hand on either side of Matt's face and pulling him up for a kiss. "I promise I'll never let it happen again."

* * *

A funny note here, I was rereading the last chapter (like I do before I write any chapter in a fanfiction) and one of the last lines was Tai saying that the idea of Matt holding a grudge was ludicrous. In a sense, his episodes are a sign of his lasting grudge.

Another note, I seem to have a thing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have another story (**The Assassin and the Clown**, DaiKen-centric with a side of Taito) that deals with it, and two stories I haven't started even started yet (one Taito-centric with misc. other pairings, and the other Takouji-centric, with only season four characters, no other pairings). So if you read more of my stories, there is a possibly you will see more of it.


	17. Chapter 16: Valentine's Day

Yay, next chapter of **The Cave** finally done! I'm sorry it took so long to get it done, but I've been in a writing slump as of late, barely writing anything, really. I need to force myself to write regularly for about 2 weeks so I can get back into the habit of it and not slump again. That is if strawberry season doesn't completely drain me again this year.

Please note, with either the next chapter or the chapter after the next one will change this fanfiction from **rated T** to **rated M**. There will be a warning right before and after the **rated M** scene for those who do not want to read it but want the storyline. Any important details will be summarized in the footnote.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Valentine's Day**

Matt couldn't help but feel fearful and embarrassed that Tai had found out about his condition. He was both very humiliated by his weakness and afraid it would portray his as weak and needy, two qualities that normally pushed partners away. Tai took it all in stride, though. For the first week afterwards, even, he followed Matt around with his ears and tail down like a puppy who knew it had done something wrong, leaving Matt to comfort him. Once he got through that stage, though, he became even more passionate about his feelings towards the blonde.

"Not in front of Sora!" he said for the third time that week as his spiky-headed boyfriend tried to press their lips together. He refusal was both for Sora's sake, since the girl still obviously had feelings for him, and for himself, since they were out on an open street.

"But she already knows about us and there is no one else around," Tai said in argument, puffing out a cheek in defiance. "And you haven't let me kiss you all day today."

"I gave in to letting you hold my hand on the walk back home, don't push your luck," the musician replied. Leaning forward so the other brunette couldn't hear what he was going to say, he added, "And think of how this affects Sora. I don't think she is fully over me yet."

Sticking out his lower lip childishly, he complained, "Why does Sora have to be here anyway?"

"Because we got stuck together doing our Science project," the girl replied, chuckling slightly and taking no offense from Tai's words. "Don't worry, as soon as we get some work done I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Laughing again as Matt blushed, she rushed ahead before the blonde could explode at her. With Tai pulling the blonde back for a kiss before letting him run after her, Matt didn't catch up until they got to his apartment door; he had the key to open it, after all.

Once inside Matt's apartment, Tai and Sora headed to the musician's room as Matt went to the kitchen for snacks. Grabbing a bag of unopened chips, he closed the cupboard and headed towards his room as well. Sitting his bag down next to one of his guitars, he sat next to his good friend and his boyfriend, swiftly moving the bag of chips out of the latter's reach. "You are not going to eat all of the, Tai," he stated, handing the Doritos to the brunette.

Pulling out a textbook, Sora placed it on the ground in front of them. "Okay, first thing's first, we need to figure out what our project is going to be," she said, flipping through a couple pages.

An hour and a half and almost a bag of chips later, they had finally decided on a chemistry project. Sora had suggested making lip gloss, saying that if she didn't want it in the end Matt could have it, but the blonde irately shot that idea down. Tai liked the idea until Matt hit him. Then Sora found an experiment to make perfume, but that was tossed out the window when they saw it could take several months. In the end they decided to look into the science of hand warmers and cold packs.

"Oh, shoot, is that the time?" Tai said suddenly, looking at the time on Matt's computer. "Mom told me to get home early today! I have to go! See you two tomorrow!" Quickly gathering up his things, the soccer player could be heard tripping over his own feet as he rushed to the door. Upon hearing it close, Matt stood and moved over to his desk, opening the top drawer and pulling a small package out of it before exiting his room as well. Figuring she already knew what he had taken, Sora stood as well and followed her friend out into living room and then out to the balcony.

"You're still smoking those?" she asked as the blonde pulled a lighter out of his pocket.

Shielding his cigarette from the slight breeze blowing between the buildings as he lit it, Matt replaced the lighter in his pocket and leaning against the railing. "Yeah, I should probably try to quit again," he replied dully. "Haven't had much luck yet. Something keeps coming up or I find a reason to quit trying to quit. Guess I'm still afraid of something."

"Tai won't be happy when he finds out," she sighed, leaning back next to Matt.

"I'm pretty sure he already knows," he replied, removing the cigarette from his lips and exhaling a trail of smoke. "He doesn't know that I've tried to quit twice already, as far as I know."

Knowing she wouldn't get far with him on the subject, the tennis player let her head fall back and looked up to the stars. "Valentine's day is in two days, do you have anything planned for it?" she asked.

Smiling and gazing towards the twinkling depths as well, he said, "Actually, yeah. It's not much and nothing fancy really, just figured I'd make Tai's favorite dinner and invite him over for an all-night movie marathon. I'll sit through all those creepy, suspense, horror thrillers he loves so much this once."

"Watching horror films on the day of lovers?" Sora asked, chuckling slightly, "how romantic is that?"

"I'm not going to watch a bunch of chick flicks," he retorted, thankful there was someone other than Tai he could be frank with. "I'm gay, not a girl."

"In your case, there isn't much difference between the two," she joked, dodging his friendly thrown punch. "I'm just kidding. Although, it is kind of true," she added to herself. Smirking, she waited for Matt to calm down before she inquired, "So you are only going to watch movies all night?"

Catching what she was hinting at, he shot her an embarrassed glare. "What else would we be doing?" he asked with fake innocence.

"Nothing," she chuckled, pushing off the railing and walking to the glass door to the balcony. "I should be getting home, too. See you tomorrow at school."

* * *

Determined to not mess up the meal, Matt poured all his attention into the food. He seasoned the mashed potatoes almost a pinch at a time, careful to not make it too bland or too strong, and milk was slowly added to the gravy until it was the perfect consistency. Checking the time, he turned all the burners off and quickly ran to his room, almost plowing into his dad. Changing into better clothes, he winced slightly when he looked in the mirror and saw his hair wasn't quite doing what he wanted it to. His bangs wanted to stay on one side, much like he had worn it as a kid, and he didn't have time to convince them to lay right; Tai should be there any minute.

Scooping up the pink apron, which he hadn't taken the time to remove in the kitchen, he bolted out of his room. Whizzing by his dad again, he hung the apron on its hook and rummaged in the cupboard for a couple plates.

"You can slow down, you know," Hiroaki stated from the entrance to the kitchen, briefcase in one hand with his coat slung through his arm. Watching his son arrange more than a single helping of food on one plate, he sighed and asked, "I'm not going to have a mess to clean up when I get home, am I?"

Glaring back over his shoulder at the implications of the older man's words, Matt replied, "It's _just_ dinner and movies. Tai's only fifteen, don't forget."

"Teenagers are having sex before that all the time," he replied calmly, although he did find it a bit awkward to be talking to his son about that. "And he'll be sixteen in five days."

"I'm not going to sleep with him. Besides, if we _did_ do anything, which we _aren't_ going to, it would be in my room anyway, so there wouldn't be a mess for you to clean," Matt said, carrying the two plates over to the table.

"Alright, alright, I'll see you tomorrow, then," Hiroaki sighed, waving with his free hand and heading for the door. Slipping his shoes on, he opened the door and came face-to-face with his son's brunette boyfriend. "Oh, hello Tai. Behave, now."

"I will," Tai smiled back, stepping out of the way so the man could leave. "Bye Hiroaki!" Closing the door and stepping out of his shoes, Tai let his nose leave him to the kitchen. "Something sure smells good," he cooed, looking from the plates on the table to the blond retrieving cups from the cupboard. Walking up behind the musician, he wrapped his arms around Matt's chest and rested his head on his shoulder. "I love Matt's cooking the best," he whispered, almost seductively, into the older male's ear.

Feeling a shiver run down his spine, he retorted before he could think, "Considering what it's being compared to that isn't much of a compliment."

"Way to ruin the mood Matt," Tai complained, slouching a bit and leaning into his boyfriend.

"What do you want to drink?" he asked, completely ignoring Tai's comment and slipping out of his embrace to head for the fridge.

"Coke," was the immediate reply.

"Okay, milk it is," Matt countered, silencing the younger boy's "hey!" with, "You drink too much pop while you are at home. Here you are having something good for you."

Sulking back to the table with his glass, he mumbled something along the lines of "it would be much more romantic with wine."

Sitting at the opposite side of the small table, Matt pointed his fork at the brunette and said, "We're too young to drink, now stop complaining and eat." Diverting his gaze because of the heat rising to his face, Matt became very interested in the food on his plate. Noticing the red tinting of Matt's cheeks, Tai smiled and started eating too; he could tell the musician was trying hard to make this a good Valentine's Day for them.

Walking over to the sink with a cleaned plate, Tai leaned towards the blonde doing the dishes until their shoulders touched. "Thank you, Yamato," he cooed, sitting his plate down and halting Matt's current task by placing a hand on his wrist. "So what are we going to do now?"

"There's a stack of movies in the living room, go figure out what order you want to watch them in while I finish dishes," he stated bluntly, removing Tai's hand from his wrist so he could continue washing the dishes.

Sighing at how Matt could ruin a mood, Tai obediently did as he was told and went into the living room. With one look at the stack, he turned and hollered back over his shoulder, "These are all horror movies though."

"You like all those ones," Matt yelled in reply. "You would have just gotten bored if I brought home chick flicks, and like hell was I going to rent those type in a place where people might see me!"

Chuckling quietly, he took a couple minutes to decide the order before putting one in the DVD player. Just as he was getting the movie started Matt came in with a large bowl of popcorn. Handing the brunette the bowl, he swung over the back of the couch and settled down next to they younger male.

"What was that about having things better for me while I'm here?" Tai teased.

"Fine, I'll take the popcorn back," Matt retorted, reaching for the bowl when he jumped at the scream from the TV. "Gods, I hate it when that happens. This is going to be a long night."

Which movie were they on now, second? Third? Matt wasn't entirely sure which for they all seemed the same to him. Some evil guy, Bernie, Barry, no, Freddy, was chasing a bunch of high school kids, who screamed a lot and startled him. And that was a tongue in his mouth, which was probably part of the reason he was confused as to what movie they were on. Matt found himself intoxicated enough, who needed alcohol when they had Tai, that he didn't even remember the other boy pushing him onto his back. The hands caressing his body just felt so right on his skin that he didn't complain until their mouths were forced to separate long enough for his shirt to be slipped over his head.

With a whole new area to explore, Tai didn't go back to kissing Matt's lips. Instead, he went for the older male's neck, sucking gently to create a small, purplish bruise before planting light kisses down the musician's throat and chest. The music his boyfriend created as he latched on to one of his nipples was better to his ears than any song the blonde had sung, enticing him to pinch the other between his forefinger and thumb.

Abusing the small peak for another moment, Tai finally decided to move along and descended to the waist of Matt's jeans. Whether it was the feeling of the button being undone, the screams on the TV, or both he didn't know, but something snapped Matt out of his stupor and he shoved Tai's hands away. Jolted out of his own fantasies, the brunette just looked up at him stupefied. Scrambling around for his shirt, Matt hurriedly pulled it back over his head as he tried to calm his nerves.

"Matt, are you okay?" Tai asked after a moment. His tone told more than his words, betraying his fear that he had done something wrong.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay," Matt replied once he had calmed down. "I'm just not quite ready for that yet, okay? Could you give me a little more time?" His mind was a lot more frantic and angry at himself than his words were, though. He couldn't believe he had almost ruined the plan he had set up almost three weeks before.

"Yeah, I can wait!" Tai cheered, crawling across the couch and tackling his boyfriend. Giving Matt one, deep kiss, he quickly sat back up and held his arm up for Matt to lean against him. Chuckling, the blonde obligatorily got up and leaned into his boyfriend, smiling slightly to himself as the brunette's arm rested on his shoulders.

It wasn't a minute later that they heard the front door click and then open. "I can't believe I forgot my keys in the car," Hiroaki sighed. The girls on the TV screamed again, causing him to jump and drop his briefcase. Quickly turning on the two boys, he asked quickly, "What are you two still doing up?"

"Watching movies," Matt replied evenly, adding to himself, _Maybe I heard Dad and that is why I snapped out of it. Good thing, too._

"Are you planning on getting to bed at a decent time?" he asked next.

"Nope," Matt replied, flinching as something jumped out of the darkness.

"Do you have school tomorrow?" came the next question.

"Yep," Matt stated simply.

"Are you _going_ to school tomorrow?" Hiroaki asked.

"Probably not," his son said.

Shaking his head slightly at the two, Hiroaki started towards his room. "Tai is to sleep on the couch tonight," was the last thing he said before vanishing into the hall.

* * *

Waking the next morning around ten, Hiroaki shaved the stubble from his face and headed towards the kitchen for a quick breakfast before heading off to work again. Sighing as he passed the couch, he realized him mistake. Leaning on the brunette's shoulder, asleep was the blonde head of his son. He should have specified that Matt had to sleep in his bed. At least they were both still clothed.

* * *

Teaser for those hoping they would do it. :) I did state that the next chapter or one after it will change it to rated M, though, so it shouldn't have been too big of a surprise.

Hope you enjoyed it and hope I don't take forever to get the next chapter up!


	18. Chapter 17: Sleepover

I really hate writer's block. And it seems to love me. I actually had 1000 words in this typed up over a week ago, but I hated it so I scrapped it all and restarted (something I rarely do). This second version is much better, and I managed to get it to 2700 words! I would have struggled to get 2000 with the original, crappy version. As usual, I am sorry for the long wait. I'm sure some of you must hate me for that by now...**  
**

**I do not own Digimon :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Sleepover**

_Gods, could this be any harder?_ That was the singular thought running through Matt's head as he scurried around the room grabbing up supplies. Judging by the way his son was carefully inspecting the contents of his bag, Hiroaki started wonder if Matt had ever really stayed over at Tai's place. The young blonde was acting way too jumpy, and had he not known that the brunette's parents were going to be home he would have wondered more closely if something other than just a sleepover was going on. "Are you sure you're not leaving for a month?" he asked from the door, staring at the overflowing contents of the abused backpack. "Because I think you have the supplies for two crammed in that thing."

"Shut up, Dad!" the teenager yelled back, stalking over and slamming the door in the older man's face. Okay, apparently he wasn't in a joking mood at the moment.

Shoving a plastic bag with bulky contents into the already overfull bag, the musician struggled with it more several minutes before finally deciding he had to remove something. Throwing out a few unnecessary items, he tried again, failing a second time. Looking forlornly at the bag, he almost whimpered as he withdrew a huge case full of hair products and sat it on the floor as well. He didn't want to leave those behind, but damn, the other things were important! With the case gone, his bag was lightened up considerably and he was able to shove the bulky plastic in and zip it closed. Walking over to his desk and checking the schedule on it one more time, he heaved the backpack onto his shoulders and almost fell into the door.

"Careful!" came his father's holler from the kitchen, the man almost chuckling under his breath as he heard his son's curses over tripping over the hall table. "I tried to warn you," he said as Matt stalked in.

"Your humor is not appreciated," he huffed, dropping his bag at the end of the table and walking over to the fridge. Opening it, he rummaged through a couple compartments before reappearing with a loaf of bread and a jar of jam.

"Aren't you going to eat over at Tai's place?" Hiroaki asked, watching kind of confused as his son got the peanut butter from a cupboard and started making a sandwich.

"Only as much as I absolutely have to," he replied evenly, tossing the knife in the sink and replacing the lids on the two jars. Shuddering a little, he remembered the one time he didn't eat something before staying over at Tai's place, which was all the motivation he needed to wolf down the sandwich. Almost gagging on the last bite, the blonde quickly cleaned up the small mess on the counter and scooped up his bag as he ran out. "See you tomorrow at some time," he shouted, slipping on his shoes in record time and shooting out the door.

Sitting still for a moment after the boy left, Hiroaki sighed and turned back to his coffee. "Kids these days," he muttered. "Too much energy for their own good."

Matt calmed down quickly after leaving the apartment, partially because of the fact that he realized he'd be hungrier if he ran. Shifting the bag on his shoulder, he once again felt that jittery, anticipating excitement well up in his stomach he always felt when close to his boyfriend. Scared to the point he feared he would faint yet so excited there was no way he'd let himself do so, Matt arrived at Tai's door still stuck in that heated gridlock.

"Yamato," the brunette cheered when he answered to door, trying and failing to throw his arms around the older male's neck and sneak in a kiss. Face tinted slightly pink and blue eyes darting around to make sure no one saw or heard the open display, Matt slipped by his boyfriend into the house, sitting his bag down next to the stairs as he removed his shoes. "I don't even get a hello kiss?" Tai pouted, giving the blonde his best puppy-dog face.

Unable to resist the pathetic face, Matt looked around once more before planting a light peck on Tai's lips. "Th-that's all now," he said, feeling quite flustered.

"No one's here yet except my family," the soccer star explained, steering the older teenager towards the living room. "And it's not like it would matter if they knew."

Right at that time a girl's voice could be heard ahead of them. "No, no, TK, that doesn't go there," Kari berated, sounding like she had already told the younger that same thing several times.

"But it would better over here, Kari," he replied, also sounding a bit annoyed.

"Oh, your brother's here, too," Tai corrected himself. With Matt's face growing darker, whether from rage or embarrassment he didn't know, the brunette continued, "Um… I don't think it's too safe to go in there right now. They have been arguing over some party game for a while now and won't even let me in the living room."

Matt was about to come back with smartass retaliation when another of Tai's family appeared from the entrance to the kitchen. "Oh, Matt, I'm sorry to ask this, but could you come help me here for a bit?" Tai's mother asked. Thankful and yet remorseful at the same time to be out of Tai's arms, the musician obediently followed the older woman. "Tai has told me how you cook, and I just can't seem to get the chicken right," she said. "Do you think you could help?

"No problem, Mrs. Kamiya," he said in response, moving closer to the pan to get a better look at the mess he'd have to fix.

"You don't have to be so formal, Matt," she stated, leaning back against the counter to stay out of the teenager's way. "With how close you and Tai are you're practically family."

Correcting the few things she had messed up, including greasing the pan so the chicken wouldn't stick and adding a bit more seasoning to it, he stood and carefully put the pan in the oven. "It just feels strange to call you by name," he answered, leaning back and relaxing on the counter as well.

The silence in the room was only broken by the quite hum of equipment and the new reporter on the small television on the counter. "We're still in the middle of that freak heat wave," the man on the television said. "The temperature is not expected to get below fifty-five degrees tonight, a record for this time of the year, and it will get to seventy-five for the next three days. I'm afraid then this area of low pressure will move in, and it will bring with it colder temperature and precipitation. So, enjoy this nice weather while it last."

"Stranger weather we're having, isn't it?" the woman asked, causing her companion to chuckle. "Something funny?"

"Are you really talking weather with me, Yuuko?" Matt asked.

"Well, you're usually so quiet I have to think of something to talk about," she replied, also laughing at the idiocy of her former question. They were interrupted by the sound of arguing from the living room, and Matt sighed as he pushed off the counter and back firmly onto his feet.

"I should go make sure my brother is behaving," he said and quietly left.

Both preteens seemed surprised to see him when he entered, and he barely got a glimpse of their marker smeared faces before they pushed him out of the room. "You can't come in yet either," TK said, the green marker in his hand dangerously close to his brother's shirt. What looked to be the same color green was on the younger boy's face, running vertically from the corner of his mouth to an inch below his eye.

"That had better be washable and you had better not be getting it on the floor or furniture," Matt scolded, holding his brother's gaze until the door opening signaled Davis' and Ken's arrival. They were quickly hustled into the living room by Kari, leaving Matt to wonder even more about what mischief his and his boyfriend's younger siblings were getting into.

"They wouldn't let you in either?" Tai asked when Matt entered his room, dropping the overstuffed bag on the floor.

"Nope," the musician replied, sitting on the bed next to the soccer player and discreetly laying his hand over the younger male's. "Just makes me more suspicious of what they're up to."

Over the next half an hour the rest of the Digidestined showed up. Yolei and Cody, along with all the older Digidestined, were barricaded out of the living room; literally, too, for it was Davis' idea to block the entrance with a bunch of couch cushions and pillows. To pass the time the two younger left out Digidestined sat on the stairs and talked while the older generation congressed in Tai's room, to the brunette's dismay. So much for his planned make out session with the reclusive blonde. Such thoughts completely fled his mind, though, when his mother hollered "food!" up the stairs. Davis, TK, Kari, and Ken were already at the bar when the others got downstairs, meaning that whatever they were working on was finished. TK and Kari even had the marker cleaned up off their faces. Quite apprehensive about what they had planned, Matt almost peeked into the living room. Whether it was fear or the thrill of the surprise he didn't know, but for some reason he didn't peek in ahead of time. He'd have to wait until after cake to figure it out.

He was on his last swallow of Cola, the last swallow of delicious, sugary water, when TK had to try and ruin it. Having already finished and put his plate in the sink, he ran into the living room to get something, then came back and all but yelled, "Okay, time to play 'pin the kiss on Tai!'" Tai almost wore his Coke. "Whoever gets closest to his mouth gets a prize!"

Discreetly hiding his gagging cough, Matt turned in his seat to see what his little brother was holding. In his hands were twelve paper kisses, as in Tai's favorite candy Hershey's Chocolate Kisses. Kari was standing next to him with the prize, a small bag of said chocolate treats. He didn't realize it, but both twelve-year-olds were secretly laughing at the pink tinting his cheeks.

Completely enthralled by the bag of silver wrapped confectionaries, Tai was the first one to take a paper kiss and run into the living room. Davis wasn't far behind, and the rest filed out of the kitchen with Matt taking up the rear.

The paper Tai they had was actually a pretty good rendition of him, if they didn't count the details and the not straight lines that made up his body. Proportion-wise, though, it was pretty good. The huge paper it was on was pasted to a large board and set against the wall so the pins wouldn't damage the Kamiya home.

Tai's guess to where his paper mouth was was strangely off a ways. Matt thought he would use himself as a guide, but apparently he wasn't bright enough to do that. His kiss landed on his forehead. Davis was second and got is on Tai's chin. Cody was the main one with a disadvantage, being too short to even reach to Tai's mouth so he decided to sit it out, and everyone else pasted kisses near or around the target area. Joe was the closest when the blindfold was finally tied over Matt's eyes. Holding the pin to his mouth, the blonde moved his arm straight forward until it met paper and pinned it in. Removing his blindfold, he wasn't too surprised to see he landed right on the mark.

"Ah, no fair!" Davis whined, getting out three words before Ken sealed his mouth shut with his hands. Matt would never forgive his idiotic boyfriend if he accidentally spilled the beans.

"I wonder how he knew that," Tai said, a very small suggestion in voice that only Matt picked up on.

"We are the same height. I'm surprised you didn't think of doing this to figure out where to pin your kiss," the musician deadpanned, turning to leave. Kari stopped him by thrusting the unopened bag of chocolates into his arms.

"Enjoy them," she smiled, and took off. Vaguely he heard TK mention that Tai was most likely going to get them, but that didn't really matter to him. Sighing, he was stopped again on his way to Tai's room to find a place to put the bag.

"Hey, Matt," Davis said somewhat sheepishly. "Do you think I could have a small handful of those?" he asked.

"Sure. Tai doesn't need all of them or he'll get fat," the older male replied, still slightly gruff from the cruel joke his sibling unintentionally (or so he thought) played on him. Clutching the candies tightly, the cinnamon-brunette said a quick thank you before bounding off to the younger bluenette. Matt smiled slightly as he watched Ken's face light up at sight of the small chocolates, and he then realized Davis was trying to win them for the shy preteen. "Must be his favorites, too, or something," he said to himself and continued on his way.

After the games and cake and more games the guests started to leave, mostly two at a time. Izzy and Mimi left, then Sora and Jyou. Cody, Yolei, TK, and Kari left together since the former three were in the same apartment complex and the latest was staying the at purple-haired girl's place. Davis and Ken were the last to leave, and the younger brunette just had to turn around, give them a sly wink, and say, "Don't have too much fun you two." He scurried out the door before Matt could conk him a good one.

Tai waited a minute, a whole sixty second, after everyone left before he approached Matt. "So… where'd you hide the chocolates?" he asked, receiving a nice blow on the head as answer. The blonde stored upstairs and to his room, a very confused Tai whimpering apologies behind him.

"Are these more important than I am?" he asked a little irately as Tai stepped into the doorway, swinging the opened bag of sweets tantalizing close to his boyfriend's face.

Snatching the bag and running over to the bed, he retrieved a chocolate and replied, "Of course not!" Popping it in his mouth sure didn't accentuate his point any, though. Wanting to give the soccer player a piece of his mind, Matt stormed to the bed only to be pulled into a long kiss that transferred the chocolate to his mouth. "Now eat it," Tai said, breaking away from the kiss. Cheeks flushed, Matt obediently followed orders.

"Are you waiting for something?" Tai asked half an hour later, after about ten minutes of Matt breaking away from his kisses to look at the clock.

"Perfect timing, pack your bag," Matt said, jumping up off the bed.

"What?" Tai asked, a dorky, confused look on his face.

"I said pack your bag. A change of clothes and a sleeping bag and such," the blonde replied, opening the drawers of Tai's dresser and rummaging through them.

"Why?" the brunette inquired, raising one eyebrow a little higher than the other.

"The after party, of course," he said, tossing a shirt over to him still unmoved boyfriend.

"Just the two of us?" Tai asked slowly, suggestively.

"Everyone else who is going should be there by now," was all Matt said in response, dropping the brunette's hopes. "Now hurry up, or we'll be late."

* * *

Reviews are loved and appreciated!

Next chapter is rated **M**!


	19. Chapter 18: The Cave III

I have gotten this chapter back up. Chapter 21 should be back up soon.

**I do not own Digimon :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 18: The Cave III**

"And there aren't going to be any girls there, right?" Yuuko asked as Tai slipped on his shoes.

"No, there aren't," Matt assured, smiling politely and disarmingly.

She looked like she only half believed him, and that truth was reiterated in her words, "Alright, but I understand teenage lingo, you know. A 'camping trip without adult supervision' means there will be girls there and beer and sex. I don't want you two getting mixed up in anything."

"It's nothing like that, Yuuko, I promise," he tried again, looking no more discontent than before. "It is more so to reminisce about the past than anything else. When we were in the Digital World we would often camp out under the stars, so it's just a get together like that."

"But still… No girls?" Tai's mom asked again.

"Nope, no girls," Matt assured, glancing back over his shoulder to see that Tai had finished tying his shoes. "So can he come with then?" Unable to say no to those pleading faces, she finally nodded and let them leave. Closing the door behind them, she still wasn't entirely convinced it was what Matt had said it was.

Checking his watch, which lit up a 7:35, Tai walked in silence for a moment before asking, "So is that why Kari insisted on staying at Yolei's?"

"Huh? Oh, no. She really is staying over there. None of the younger Digidestined are coming," Matt replied, glancing at his own, non-digital watch. It would take about two hours to get there, kind of late but it could be later. Pulling his sweatshirt closer to his skin, he leaned over into Tai since he had the darkness as a cover. Smiling to himself, the now-sixteen-year-old brunette wrapped an arm around the older male at his side.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" he asked as they arrived at the bus stop, taking a seat on the bench under the empty overhang. Matt sat as close to him as he dared with the streetlights shining on them, and possibly a little closer than he normally would have since it was only fifty-eight degrees out.

"You will have to wait and see," he answered, scooting a little closer to the heat of his boyfriend.

Enjoying the closeness of the teenager next to him, Tai refrained from breaking the silence for a moment. Once the headlights of the bus could be seen in the distance he spoke, "So it'll just be the six of us, then?"

"No, I don't think Sora or Mimi could make it," Matt said, putting a little more distance between their bodies as the bus started to pull up. He didn't elaborate farther and the doors of the bus opened. Matt quickly grabbed his bag and ran on ahead, paying for both his and Tai's tickets before walking to the back of the bus and taking a seat. "It's a long ride, so try not to fall asleep," he told the brunette as he sat down.

"Then don't you fall asleep either," Tai retorted playfully, "since I have no idea where we're going."

"I won't fall asleep," Matt chuckled, laying his hand over Tai's on the seat and looking out the window. He was too wired with anxiety to sleep. It was going to be a long bus ride.

* * *

Mentally preparing himself for what was just ahead, it took Matt a moment to realize it was almost their stop. Carefully lifting his wrist, he could barely see around a spike of brown hair that both hands were pointing to the nine.

Smiling lovingly at the boy asleep on his shoulder, Matt couldn't help but feel a little guilty at waking him. He was sleeping so peacefully, it felt like such a shame to wake him and they had another ten minutes until their stop so Matt postponed it a little. Instead he tried for had to be the fifth time to move his shoulder slightly to allow his arm to come out of its slumber. It was numb; he couldn't feel it or move it, and hadn't been able to for half-an-hour, when Tai dozed off. It may have been considerable early to sleep, but after doing nothing but sitting for that long anyone could find themselves nodding off.

"Hn?" Tai uttered, stirring as Matt moved a little too much. Sitting up and yawning, it took him a good ten seconds to remember where he was. "We there yet?" he asked, yawning again and stretching his arms way above his head.

"Almost," the musician replied, grabbing his limp arm in his hand and lifting it up. Shaking it a bit, he tried to move a finger and found not even all of his concentration could get it to. "Do you see what you did to me?" he asked, letting out a strange "ezezeze"-like noise as his whole are suddenly started to tingle.

Chuckling and planting a peck on his boyfriend's lips, Tai cooed, "I'm sorry, love."

The driver gave them a strange look as the got off the bus, although whether it was because of the location or that he saw the exchange in the back of the bus Matt didn't know.

"Ah, this brings back memories," Tai said, stretching and inhaling deeply through his nose. "So, where are we camping?"

"This way," Matt replied, heading in the direction he pointed. As the open area began getting populated by trees his companion started growing suspicious of where they were going. He could tell it was difficult for Tai to stay quiet about it, almost as if he feared that saying it would make it true. He did speak up, though, when Matt pointed to the reclusive little cave that was supposed to be just there and said, "There it is."

"Matt, did you really tell the others about this place?" he asked, the disappointment in his voice hurting the blonde a little. "I wanted… I wanted this place to stay just between us…"

"I know," Matt replied, anticipation welling up in his chest. His pace quickened a step, as if he was trying to outrun his anxiety, while Tai's slowed up, the brunette trying to prolong the undisturbed sanctity of the place a moment longer.

When he made it to the cave mouth the moonlight shone in perfectly to show Matt laying out his sleeping bag… in an empty cave. "Matt… I thought you said the others were here?" he asked, confused.

"I never said that, Taichi," he replied, feeling the material to make sure no pointy rocks were under it. "I believe I said that everyone else who was coming was already here."

Hope rising, Tai pushed a little farther. "So where is everyone, Yamato?"

"Like I would tell anyone else about this place," Matt said, standing and turning to face the now excited brunette. "I actually hadn't planned it like this," he admitted as Tai moved forward and wrapped his arms around the blonde's skinny waist. "I was going to bring you home since Dad is going away on a business trip, but then the weather suddenly heated up. I figured that this was a better place, a more important place."

Not wanting to jump to conclusions but pretty sure he understood where Matt was going, Tai inquired, "A better, more important place for what?"

"D-do I have to spell everything out for you?" the blonde stuttered. "First you almost ruin my plan on Valentine's Day and now I have to tell you?" Face almost glowing red now, he swallowed hard when Tai didn't respond and stuttered, "I-I'm talking about our first time. S-sex."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Once he felt like he had removed enough of Tai's seed, he quickly pulled on the clothes he could find. Tai had set out his sleeping bag by that time, and Matt looked between his clean one and his messy one.

Tai was just about to turn and ask Matt to join him when he saw the shivering blonde behind him. Ushering him quickly into the warm folds of fabric, he joined him a second later. "Figured I'd offer since we kind of dirtied yours," he said, wrapping his arms around the older male and placing a sweet kiss on his forehead."

"I would have been seriously pissed if you hadn't," Matt replied, curling up into that warm chest. Exhaustion pulled at his eyelids and he was out within minutes, but he did get a chance to see Tai's face lit by moonlight before sleep's dark embrace comforted him. Tai didn't last much longer.

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO** has replaced the sex scene, which has now been taken out, obvious. Full chapter is at http(:)/angelic-hellspawn(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Digimon-Taito-Fanfic-Chapter-18-306855242


	20. Chapter 19: The Gift

I'm sure everyone is sick of my excuses by now :P I guess late is better than never, though, right? I can also tell you that I haven't forgotten this story (obviously :P) and do plan on finishing it... eventually.

**I do not own Digimon :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 19: The Gift**

Matt snuggled closer to the heater in his bed. He didn't know what it was, and he didn't really care. It was warm and it was there, that's all that mattered. The bed was a little lumpier than usual, so he shifted a bit to try and find a better position. It didn't help much, as if a rock or something was under his back. Lazily opening his eyes slightly, he stared groggily at the tan chest he was pressed again, his foggy mind trying to comprehend what had happened to the heater that was there just seconds before. Open, pale hands moved slowly over that chest, tracing the lines from the other male's smooth chest to the small creases caused by the slightly defined abdominal muscles. By the time Matt's fingers found themselves at waist of Tai's pants his mind had fully snapped out of its sleepy haze. His cheeks were painted red, but his mind was completely content; that part of his consciousness that was still struggling to cope with his relationship with another boy strangely silent. Then he shifted again and that part came to life instantly, as if the dull throb in his lower back had jolted it from its sleep. Too embarrassed to think, Matt buried his face in his lover's chest, hiding behind his messing blonde hair as he heard the soccer star groan into awakenedness.

Matt started counting his breaths, trying to concentrate on anything other than his quickening heartbeat or the boy he was pressed up against. Strong hands began tracing his back, starting at the waist of his pants and slowly traveling up his spine, over the juts of his shouldblades and to the base of his skull. The feather light touch sent chills through the singer's body, increasing the pace and shallowness of his breaths. Fingers gently traced his jaw line, causing the air to halt halfway to his lungs. "Yamato, look at me," the brunette cooed lovingly, tan fingers trying to coax the blonde to look up at him. "I'm up here, not down there," he teased, finally managing to lift Matt's face towards him. A light smile touching his lips, the athlete leaned down and captured the musicians, sliding his tongue into Matt's mouth. Both of his hands moved to tangle themselves in the blonde's soft hair, tugging gently on the messy strands and awarding him with a mewl of pleasure from the older male.

The moment was broken, though, not a minute later when Matt pushed Tai away, a bright red dusting his cheeks. "Is something wrong?" his lover asked, confused and hoping he hadn't done anything wrong.

"I-I'm too sore to do that again," Matt said, immediately realizing he was inadvertently informing Tai that he was getting aroused from just a simple kiss. "A-and I think we should be getting home, before your mom starts to wonder what went on at this party." _And I really need to take a shower_, he added silently, feeling his legs stick together as he moved.

"So much for a romantic morning," Tai joked, his smile showing the good nature of his comment.

Unzipping his sleeping bag, the brunette pulled himself from its confines. Glancing around the now lit cave he spotted something they couldn't find the night before in the dark, the musician's shirt. Scooping it up on his way to his bag, he tossed it back to the boy who couldn't help but a little pain as he sat up. "Thanks," he replied, graciously pulling the fabric over his head and hugging it to his body. It might be cold from the chilly cave air but it would warm up soon and he'd be grateful for the added layer. "Could you get me my jacket, too?" he asked, trying to contain his shivers. "It's in my bag."

"Not a problem," Tai replied, reaching into the already opened bag and pulling at the first cloth he found. It touched a spot deep in his heart when he saw just what coat his lover had packed. He had accidentally left it at the older male's house a couple weeks before. It was blue, longer than a normal coat, with two yellow paw prints on the back. Matt had packed his coat.

"I'm kind of cold over here," Matt said, successfully snapping the soccer player out of his thoughts.

Matt soon found himself encased in strong, warm arms. "I love you," the brunette whispered sensually in his boyfriend's ear.

Chuckling a little but returning the embrace, the older male said, "That was kind of random. Where did that come from?"

Tai smiled and lightly pecked his forehead, draping his coat over the blonde's shoulders. "You can have it," he said, pulling the front closed. "Take good care of it, okay?"

Hugging the fabric closer to his skin, Matt replied with a quiet, "I will."

The ride home wasn't the most comfortable for our poor protagonist. His abused ass protested at the pressure caused by sitting on it, but the musician found he had to grin and bare it. The male beside him still seemed to notice, though, giving him kicked-puppy-dog stares and I'm-very-sorry eyes every few minutes. The looks only succeeded with making Matt feel a little guilty, feeling bad that his discomfort was making Tai feel terrible. Shrinking down into the seat more, the blonde-haired teen whispered, "Tai, it's okay. I'm alright, so you can stop giving me that look."

"But I hurt you…" Tai replied, equally quiet with his eyes adverted towards the bus floor.

A blush spread across the blonde's pale cheeks. "A-and I knew that this would be the results in the morning," he stuttered, glancing around nervously to make sure no one was paying attention to their conversation. Not that there were many who could be listening in since all of the other four people were towards the front of the bus while the two teenagers were in the back. "The first time is always painful like that," he added, trying to quell some of his lover's worry.

Although he still felt the dull pangs of guilt, Tai tried to push it from his mind. Making sure no one was watching the two in the back, he leaned down and gave Matt a chaste kiss on the lips, then pulled the blonde's head over so it rested on his shoulder.

They only broke apart from each other once they got closer to home and more people piled on the early bus. Tai would have been more than content to stay as they were, close and obviously more than just friends, but he knew the attention would unnerve his lover. Reluctantly separating from his lover, he wasn't able to touch the musician again until they came to their stop. Stepping off the bus, Matt tripped up on the last step and Tai had to catch him, the soccer star then insisting that he carry Matt's belongings to his place. A little embarrassed that he wasn't able to handle things on his own, he walked silently beside the stronger male, also silently grateful for the help.

Giving Tai a small reward, a quick peck on the cheek, for helping him get back to his apartment, Matt waved and closed the door. Leaving his bag in the middle of the entryway, the musician half-ran to the bathroom, feeling far overdue for a good, long, hot bath. At least his dad was at work so he didn't have to come up with some awkward excuse.

* * *

Hiroaki almost tripped over the bag in the way as he walked in the door. Eyeing it curiously, he edged around it and headed towards the kitchen.

Feeling much better, less sore and refreshed, Matt came out of his room towel drying his hair. Walking no longer sent pain up his spine and he felt well enough to clean out his bag and hide all evidence of the previous night's activity before—

"Took a shower here?" a voice came from the kitchen, causing the teenager to jump out of his skin. "Does the Kamiya's shower not work or something?"

"I-I left all my hair products here on accident," Matt stuttered, quickly coming up with a half-truth lie. "A-and you know I can't go even one day without them." Having inched over to his bag during his explanation, the musician quickly snatched it up. "Now I have a bunch of stuff to put away, so please excuse me." Hiroaki watched his son retreat to his room, feeling there was more to the story than the boy was telling him.

There was a knock at the door just an hour later. Since Matt had just sat down to have something to eat Hiroaki sat the paper down and got up to answer it. On the other side was a grinning, overly cheery (even for him) Tai Kamiya. "Come in, Tai," he said, moving to the side so the brunette could step in.

"Thanks," he said quickly, toeing off his shoes and rushing into the kitchen. Matt was halfway to taking another bite when his boyfriend intercepted him. One hand meshed into the older male's blonde hair, the other grabbing his wrist and making it set the fork back down on the plate while his mouth captured the musician's.

Complacent for a few seconds, lazy blue eyes then caught sight of the other occupant of the apartment and he pushed the other teenager away. "Taichi," he berated quietly, blushing when he saw the distant, euphoric look on the athlete's face.

"He already knows, though," was his defense. Trying to lean in again, he was stopped by a finger over his mouth. "Ah, c'mon Yama," the boy whined, still giddy from the newest development in their relationship. He knew the blonde wouldn't be so resistant if his father wasn't there.

"No," came the firm reply, the musician taking the bite he had previously tried to. "Just because he knows doesn't mean he needs to see it," he said after swallowing, pointing his fork at the overly zealous teenager. "And doesn't mean I want to show him," he added quieter.

Huffing a little, but used to his boyfriend's shyness, he wrapped his arms around the blonde and snuck a kiss through onto his forehead. "Hurry up and eat, I have something for you," he said, then backed away and pulled out one of the other chairs, turning it so the back was facing Matt and sitting in it backwards. Tai just had to make things awkward…

He had barely finished when Tai was rushing him out the door. It was almost too much for the younger male to wait for his lover to change out of his pajamas and gather up his coat, pacing the room while he waited (and giving Matt a nice, long look as he was changing) before shoving the musician into the hallway and then out the front door. "What's the rush?" Matt asked as he hurriedly pulled on Tai's coat, the one the soccer star had just given him that morning. It might be warm for March, but it was still too cold for Matt to be without a jacket of some kind.

"I have something for you," Tai repeated, grabbing Matt's hand semi-roughly and dragging him down the stairs. Whatever self-consciousness the musician might have had was lost in his struggle to keep up with his boyfriend without tripping over his feet. Getting pulled down the street and starting to run short on breath, he got Tai's attention by tapping him on the shoulder and motioned back towards the bus approaching a bus stop. Stopping and shaking his head, the teen replied, "No need. It's not much farther." He did recognize that his captive was no as fit as he was, though, and slowed his pace so the boy wouldn't faint before he could show him his surprise.

The familiar sight of a decommission play set with only the swings really still is good, working order. The place brought a smile to his face. Just short of skipping, the brunette pulled his boyfriend over to the metal structure coated in peeling, faded paint and forced him into one of the swings. Taking the other swing himself, Tai started with, "It might be my birthday, or was my birthday yesterday, but I have a gift for you." From inside the folds of his jacket, Tai produced a small package wrapped neatly in shiny bright blue paper and a yellow ribbon.

Finding Tai's excitement infectious, Matt nearly dropped the box as it was handed to him. It was light and small, maybe six inches across, two inches wide, and one tall, rattling slightly when he shook it. Catching Tai's impatience out of the corner of his eye, Matt couldn't help but smirk and examine the box a bit more. There were no crinkles in the paper, giving the impression that it was professionally wrapped and the somewhat clumsy teenager hadn't done it.

"Oh, just open it already!" he practically cried out, looking on the brink of becoming distraught at his lover's stalling.

Chuckling slightly, he finally started to tug on the ribbon until it came loose and fell to the dusty ground. The shiny blue wrapping paper soon joined it, revealing a plain, brown box that gave no indication as to what was inside. Quite curious by now as to what was in the box, Matt ran a nail down the middle seam to break the tape and opened the small container. And nearly dropped the box again.

"I couldn't find any clues as to where the old one went, and it took me a while to find another one like it," Tai explained, a soft, loving expression on his face. "I hope it isn't late."

Closing his hand around the box, Matt practically launched himself at the younger teen, throwing his arms around the athlete's neck and smashing his lips into Tai's. Startled by Matt's boldness, for a short moment he didn't respond. In his momentary paralysis, Tai slipped out of the swing and the two boys fell to the dusty earth. He quickly recovered, though, and eagerly returned the kiss.

Pulling away a moment later (deciding he'd better stop before he heard some kid asking his mommy what those two boys were doing), a light blush on his pale white cheeks, Matt stuttered, "S-sorry." His grip had not loosened on the box, and it was not lost on Tai when the blonde didn't offer him his dominant hand to help him back to his feet.

"So you like it?" Tai asked, a gently smile on his face and a genuine sincerity in his voice.

"Of course," Matt replied, taking a seat in his swing again. Opening the box, he took the gift out of its confines and looked up to the overcast sky. Placing the harmonica to his lips, he let his breath flow through it in long notes, drowning the old, abandoned area with sweet music he hadn't been able to play for way too long. Sitting down as well, Tai closed his eyes and lost himself in the songs.

* * *

It has been so long since I started this story I actually had to go back through and make sure I hadn't already had Tai give Matt the harmonica. In the original storyline he had actually done so over Christmas, buuuut that kinda didn't happen, oops.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, 2531 words :)


	21. Chapter 20: Nicotine

I seem to finally be getting out of my writing rut! This is my fifth update is less than a month. And I'm really looking forward to writing more.

Enjoy the next chapter of **The Cave**.

**I do not own Digimon :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Nicotine**

He could tell by the urgency in his son's actions as he entered the apartment what he needed. Rushing right passed him with barely a wave in hello, the teenager nearly slammed the sliding glass door open and waltzed right out onto the balcony. Fishing in the coat pocket for a moment, Matt realized what he was looking for wasn't in it so he sprinted to his room and soon appeared with a box of cancer and a lighter. Sticking a cigarette in his mouth he dropped the rest of the pack into one of the coat pockets. Shielding the flame from the wind, he held to the end of the cigarette until it started to burn, tasting the harsh fumes on his tongue. Flipping the lid back and cutting off the flame, he stuffed the lighter into the same pocket he had previously put the pack in.

Inhaling nice and deep, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and held it so the ashes would flitter on the wind out over the edge of the balcony. Holding it in for as long as his lungs would allow him, Matt tilted his head towards the sky and let out a calm, relaxed breath filled with smoke. He then proceeded to take another breath of tainted air. Repeating this routine another couple times, he suddenly remembered he was wearing Tai's coat and hurriedly took it off, tossing it back inside the apartment to keep it from smelling like some of his other clothes; he would never forgive himself if it got saturated with cigarette smoke, and he knew neither would Tai.

Hiroaki watched his son for a minute before finally deciding to go join him, resting his folded arms on the balcony rail and gazing down at the street. Matt continued to puff away at his shortening cigarette, absently tapping it with thumb every now and then to knock off the ashes, neither sure just where to start the conversation. Giving his son a pained, sidelong glace, Hiroaki couldn't help but wonder just when it had become so hard to talk to the boy.

Matt broke the silence. Blue eyes transfixed on the burning end of the item between his fore and middle finger, he asked, "Dad, would you go get me the jacket I tossed inside please?" Sighing, he watched his son drop the spent cigarette onto the balcony floor and step on it before he dejectedly went to retrieve the rest of the pack for him. Holding the coat out in one hand, Matt took it without a word and fished through the pocket for what he was looking for.

To say the least, he was quite shocked. Flame licked at the corner of the box where Matt had introduced it to the lighter. It burned quickly through the paper package to its contents, catching onto them as well. As soon as it was too hot for him to keep a hold of Matt dropped it to the hard stone of the balcony, watching with mute fascination as the entire thing became nothing but a ball of heat and ashes and nicotine. "I want to quit," he said, eyes not once leaving the small mass of fire and paper. "I mean really quit. I want to make Taichi proud, but I don't think I can do this alone. It's really hard." Letting out a frustrated sigh, he crouched down so he was sitting on his heels, hands holding the rail to help him keep his balance.

A kind hand rested reassuringly on his shoulder. "We'll go get you some patches right now," he said, giving the teenager's shoulder a comforting squeeze before heading towards the kitchen. Matt did move an inch, oceanic eyes watching the last of the flames die on the pack of cigarettes until he heard his dad come back. "Time to get up," he said, grabbing his son's arm and helping pull him to his feet. "And I'll always be here for support, son. Although, if you don't mind me asking, why aren't you asking Tai to help you with this?"

A small smile graced Matt's lips, but the teenager didn't reply. He didn't say much of anything as they were figuring out what strength of patches they should get as well. But upon returning home Hiroaki got his answer. Going back into the kitchen to finish the meal he had been starting when Matt came rushing in the door, he had barely sat down when something very familiar started floating through the air. Matt was sitting on the couch, blue coat hanging loosely on his shoulders, with a harmonica to his mouth. His eyes were closed and he seemed to just lose himself in whatever melody he was playing. And Hiroaki had no doubt that Tai had given it to him, and just a couple hours before when he so urgently came in and stole his son.

* * *

The patch felt strange on his skin, as if he had plastered a piece of clear packing tape to his arm. It itched slightly, in that irritating, 'just enough that it is noticeable' kind of way, and he had to use all of his self control some times to not rub at it through his shirt. He hadn't had a cigarette in nine days, though, so they seemed to be working. While there were a couple times he felt the urge to smoke it was never very strong and he easily beat it back down. His lack of smoking had also kept Tai from yelling at him, which was a major plus.

And speaking of Tai, those tanned arms around his neck could only belong to the aforementioned brunette. He could feel the little kisses getting trailed down his neck, curving around until Tai could take his pale earlobe into his mouth playfully. And had the hallway not been abandoned at the moment Matt would have punched Tai in the face for his advances. They were sweet, though, and no one was around to witness them so he shyly blushed and left his lover to his ministrations.

Placing one last kiss on the blonde's cheek, Tai backed off. He was thankful his timid lover had even let him do that much and didn't want to push his luck. Resisting the urge to playfully whisk Matt's books away from him so he could play the part of the good boyfriend, Tai led the way to their first period class. As it was just holding the door open for his lover got him a small glare.

It was about half way through class that Matt felt the piece of paper nudge his elbow. It was crumpled from the persistence the brunette in the chair beside had used to get his attention and frayed on one edge where he had obviously torn it from a spiral notebook. It was also folded in half several times until it barely took up the space of a business card. Since he knew this teacher was very strict about note passing and talking in class, Matt unfolded it in his lap, glancing down at it only once the old man had turned around to write something on the chalk board about some old, dead famous guys that did something back sometime. Scrawled in messy handwriting in the upper margin were innocent enough words, unless you knew the underlying meaning behind them; _Will your dad be home tonight?_

Matt nearly choked. They had had this conversation before, and when Matt said no Tai would ask if he could come over. Simple enough, but once they were alone together, where no one might walk in on them, the soccer player would immediately turn to the offensive, trying to worm his way passed the musician's barriers and into his pants. He was persistent, but not to the point where he wouldn't listen to his partner.

Scribbling a reply and folding it back up, Matt left the note on his lover's lap. Judging by the frown it wasn't the answer he had been wanting to get. Right under his own handwriting, written in neat letters despite having used his leg as a table, was a single word; _Yes_. Tai learned later that day that it wasn't just a bluff, for Hiroaki made it home just shortly after they walked into the apartment. Silently grateful for the rescue, Matt hurried into the kitchen to fix something for the three of them to eat. He was embarrassed to admit it, but he was scared of having sex again. He couldn't help but wonder what type of pervert he had to be to enjoy having something shoved up his ass, and what type of masochist he must be to have preferred the rougher, more painful moments than the gentler ones. He was seeing parts of himself he didn't know existed, and he was a little frightened about what else he might discover.

He would worry about that later, though. He had more important things to take care of, like his boyfriend before the bottomless pit starved.

* * *

Rushing out the door so fast that Roadrunner would be amazed, Matt just knew he was forgetting something. His alarm hadn't gone off for some reason. He suspected it was the work of some ghost but his dad insisted that it did go off and a very sleepy Matt had gotten up just long enough to shut the damn thing off before crawling back into bed and falling asleep again. What do adults know, anyway? But because of his alarm mishap Matt had barely had time to fix his hair and grab a piece of toast before running out the door and towards school.

And he still felt like he was missing something. He had done his homework the night before and shoved it in his bag, even finishing a project not due for another two days, his hair was fixed up, albeit not as nice as it would be if he had the extra time to mess with it, and he remembered to grab something for breakfast, so what was wrong? Whatever it was he knew it was important because it wouldn't leave him alone, and once it came to him he knew it would hit him like a ton of bricks, but he was going to be late for class if he dwelled on it any longer so he forced it out of his mind. Sprinting until his breath came harshly to his lungs, he only slowed once the school doors were in sight.

The tardy bell rang just as his butt touched the seat, the musician breathing a sigh of relief. It would be an afternoon detention if he got one more tardy that week, and there were plenty of other things he'd rather do with his evenings than sitting in a classroom because of a stupid alarm disabling ghost. If he ever caught the thing he'd have to exorcise it.

It was around the end of fourth period that he finally remembered what had slipped his mind, and like he had predicted, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was starting to shiver slightly, and was quite thankful that Tai had to pay attention in science class because his grade was slipping so he wouldn't have time to notice the condition he was in. Taking deep breaths didn't seem to work to calm him down and throughout the entire fifth period his cravings got worse. By the end of it he was not in a good mood, snapping at his lab partner over something very small. "You're supposed to mix chemical A with C before you mix A with B," he snapped, forcefully taking the test tube from his lover and doing them in the correct order. Since the two were in different beakers and therefore different mixes it didn't really matter much, but his withdrawal symptoms were not letting up. Kind of scared by the musician's moodiness, Tai took off for the cafeteria as soon as the bell rang, leaving Matt in his dust.

The blonde didn't head towards the commons, nor did he go to his locker. Heading in the opposite direction, he dropped his things off in his sixth period classroom before heading towards the back of the gym. Three people were huddled around the back entrance, though only one seemed to acknowledge his approach. Scooting to the side to let the blonde sit down and join them, the young man smiled kindly to the other teenager he'd loosely use the word friend with.

Shaking his head at the invitation, Matt said, "Just give me one, Kei." The distaste was obvious in his words, though Kei didn't take it the wrong way. The other two with him, on the other hand…

"Not good enough for us?" another boy asked, standing up and glowering. His height wasn't anything to be proud of, and neither was his weight. Shorter than Matt was, he must have weighed at least three times as much.

The girl was about to add something as well when Kei cut in with a chuckle and raised hand. "No need to be hostile," he said, extending his other hand towards Matt. Disgusted with himself, he took the offered cigarette and turned to leave. "Matt only smokes on the roof," Kei explained to them, ushering them to sit back down so they could continue their game of blackjack. "But I thought you were quitting," he added to the departing singer.

"I am," Matt replied, fishing for his lighter. "Forgot to put a damn patch on today."

Matt's prolonged absence had started to make Tai worry by that point, and he finally decided to go search for his boyfriend. A quick peek into his previous and next classrooms and down the hall where his locker was located revealed that the blonde was no where to be seen. Which meant only one thing. Gritting his teeth to keep himself from quietly cursing, he took the stairs two at a time.

It tasted like he was eating a camp fire, but his anxiety was surely lessening with every intact of burning fumes. The jittery shivering was all but gone and he no longer felt the need to bite the head off of everything that so much as looked at him wrong, but that didn't mean he really felt any better. This is what he had been trying to avoid, yet instead of calling his dad and asking him to bring him what he needed he went to an old pal for a different solution.

And that was a door opening, things just got worse. "Yamato! What the hell are you doing up here?" Tai yelled, footsteps resounding heavily as he stormed over to the older teen. Matt couldn't muster up the courage to look at him, instead diverting his gaze to the ground far below and taking another deep inhale of smoke.

Rage mounting, the soccer star launched himself at his lover, left hand closing around the offensive item in the blonde's hand and yanking it from his grasp. The lit end burned into his palm but he was blind to the pain, disappointment and fury in his chocolate eyes. Matt suddenly had concerns for his boyfriend, though, and worked quickly to make him drop it, blowing on the fresh wound as if trying to make it disappear. "Please Tai, don't do that," he pleaded.

"I told you to quit smoking," Tai replied, not backing down an inch. His mind slowly clearing, Tai could clearly see the anguish on his best friend's face. "I'm just worried about you," he said in a nicer tone.

Unable to look Tai in the eyes, Matt instead focused on the wall behind him. "It's not as easy as it sounds," he tried to explain, only succeeding in receiving another harsh glare. "And I forget a patch just one day and this happens… What?"

"Patch? You mean a nicotine patch?" he asked, features softening as the blonde gave a slight nod. "So you are trying to quit…" he added, a slight smile on his face. There was also a touch of shame hidden there, the brunette feeling a bit guilty for jumping to conclusions.

"Trying being the operative word," Matt replied. "I've already tried once before." He tried to keep the dejection from his words, knowing that if he gave up before he even started then he wouldn't beat this, but the previous loss did weigh heavily on him.

"This time, I'll hold you up," Tai smiled, leaning in for a kiss before remembering what Matt had just been doing. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he instead rested his head on the blonde's shoulder. He'd berate Matt later for using such a crude repellent to keep him from kissing him. But for now Matt needed support, and he was willing to be there for him.

* * *

I have pretty much no doubts that I messed up his addiction in some way. I have never smoked and never plan on smoking, so I have no firsthand experience with either. I tried to research up on it a bit, but my search results were less than exemplary. I kept getting a bunch of ad-like links that seemed more interested in sell their nicotine patch product... So considering my limited knowledge on the subject I think I did pretty good... I think..


	22. Chapter 21: Bad Habit

This chapter is now finally back up. Sorry for the short time that it was down.

**I do not own Digimon :'(  
**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Bad Habit**

Rough hands forced him against the wall, a pair of lips plastering themselves over his. Gods he should push the other boy away and quickly, but that muscular body felt so good against his own, slimmer frame and the heat was so comforting he just wanted to snuggle up closer. Besides, Tai at least had the decency to push him into a dark, empty classroom before starting his attack. Now that he had successfully been pinned to the wall, the brunette's hands worked their way down to his hips, massaging his shoulders and sides as they moved down his body. A hot tongue battled its way into his mouth and lapped at every surface it could reach. A euphoric moan was muffled by the athlete's mouth, but that didn't diminish the satisfied smirk on his face.

Just as Matt was really starting to respond, to fight back for dominance and arch forward in an attempt to meld their bodies even more, Tai pulled back. The blonde let out a disappointed whimper, strong hands keeping him pinned to the wall as his boyfriend backed away half a step, a mischievous grin on his face. Leaning in so his mouth was just a centimeter from the singer's ear, he asked in a barely audible whisper, "Do you want to continue this after school, at your house?"

Desire clouded his mind, and before it could tell him not to, his mouth announced, "My dad will be home late tonight." It took all of Tai's self control to contain his smile, waiting anxiously for the reaction he knew was going to come. And then Matt realized just how much of an invitation his words were and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. If his hands weren't pinned to his sides he'd have used them to cover his burning cheeks.

Lightly kissing each eye, Tai cooed, "I'll meet you immediately after seventh period and walk you home." Then, as quickly as the whole, heated exchange began it ended. The soccer star released his captive and walked towards the door so nonchalantly it was like he had never done anything to the boy using the wall to keep himself up. Grinning back innocently, he opened the door into the empty hallway and asked, "Well, are you coming?"

Rolling his eyes in frustration, the musician picked up his discarded bag before pushing off the wall and passed his boyfriend, exiting the room. Slinging the strap over his shoulder, his hand absently started rubbing his shoulder.

"Stop that," the brunette schooled, grabbing Matt's wrist. "You're going to rub it off again," he continued, lifting the sleeve of the singer's t-shirt to make sure the patch was still in place. "It can't help you if you keep scratching at it like that," he said, going in to place a good luck kiss on it. He was batted away by an annoyed hand, though.

"Not in the open," Matt said through gritted teeth, slipping his arm out of the athlete's grasp and continuing on to the art classroom. Although he was a little disappointed, Tai backed off. It would be hard, but he would have to wait until after classes let out to have his fun.

* * *

The final bell echoed through the empty halls, signaling the end of the school day. It was accentuated by the heavy _clomp-clomp!_ of heavy footfalls in the home economics… almost empty… hall. Brunette hair bounced wildly as the athlete flew down the hall between the locker room and cooking class. He slowed down slightly as he approached the door, but not soon enough. Grasping at the door handle, getting his hands on it was the only thing that kept his sliding feet from continuing down the hallway. Recovering quickly, he threw the door open and opened his mouth to call for his boyfriend.

A cookie was shoved into that gaping maw; a fresh, warm, double chocolate chip cookie. "Let's go, cookie monster," the blonde sighed, grabbing his sleeve and steering him away from the giggles issuing from behind him. He was just grateful his sixth sense had told him to clean up early so he could keep the younger sixteen-year-old from talking.

Tai happily let himself be dragged until he had polished off the tasty treat Matt had given him. Then he took the initiative and grabbed the blonde's wrist, weaving in and out of the hordes of students who were also eager to get out of those concrete halls.

The brunette couldn't get his boyfriend home fast enough. He barely took the time to let Matt shed his bag and shoes and close the door before he pushed him against a wall, assaulting his mouth. Tanned hands sensually massaged slim shoulders while a persistent tongue weaseled its way passed hesitant lips. As soon as it touched its twin the musician responded, moaning and lapping at the muscle invading his mouth. His pale fingers kneaded the athlete's hips, desperately trying to pull him closer with diminished strength. Tai was being stubborn, though, and refused give his boyfriend any contact other than his mouth and hands. When Matt tried to buck his hips forward the brunette's hands kept him against the wall. Something feral, halfway between a growl and a whimper, gurgled up the blonde's throat, morphing into just a growl when Tai broke the kiss.

"Is there something you want?" he asked huskily, arousal thick in his voice.

"Damnit, Tai. You've been trying to get me in bed for the last two weeks and now I have to beg for it?" Matt complained, banging his fists once, twice on Tai's chest and leaning forward to rest his head on the brunette's shoulder.

"I need you to tell me," Tai cooed, removing his hands from the blonde's thin hip and stroking his soft, blonde locks.

Arching forward so their erections touched through the rough fabric of their jeans, he asked, "Is that not answer enough for you?" His only answer was a gently kiss on the top of his head, making the musician groan. "Tai… Damnit! Gods, just do it, Taichi! If you're going to take me to bed then please just do it already!"

That was all the invitation the brunette needed. Sweeping Matt off his feet into his arms bridal style and swooping down for a quick kiss, he quickly made his way to the blonde's room. Roughly kicking the door open and shimmying in sideways, he threw his cargo down as gently as he could on the bed. Quickly shedding his coat and shirt, it took just a second longer to join the older male.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Sighing embarrassedly, Hiroaki quickly retreated into the kitchen. He really had a bad habit of walking in to the wrong place at the wrong time. That was definitely his son he was hearing moaning and calling the brunette's name, and judging by how vocal he was being there was little chance he was the dominant partner. Nearly falling face first into the sink, Hiroaki could hardly believe he was seriously thinking things like that. Wishing not for the first time that the walls were a bit thicker in their apartment, he covered his ears with his hands; at least he has the assurance that the walls between apartments were thicker. He couldn't blame the boys for their actions, though. He had said not to have sex when he was home and he had told his son he would be back late. That would be the last time he wouldn't call in advance when he got off early.

Despite have over forty years under his belt, he couldn't help but blush when he heard the two lovers climax, just hoping he'd be able to get rid of that memory eventually. Taking a calming breath, he slowly stood and made his way towards his son's room, stopping halfway there and turning around. As much as he wanted to as the boy something he was willing to wait until after the boy emerged from his room.

Lying on his back, Matt's breathing was finally starting to return to normal. The brunette beside him had his arms wrapped lovingly around his sweat-soaked body, nuzzling the blonde's cheek affectionately. "I love you," he whispered sweetly, pecking the shell of his ear.

"I really need to do laundry, before the semen stains the sheets and clothes…" Matt replied, making his lover chuckle and shake his head.

"You are so romantic sometimes," Tai said sarcastically, stretching and getting off the bed. "I'm going to go take a shower really quick. I'll fill the tub for you afterwards, okay?" he asked, receiving a swift nod from the blonde. Licking his lips, a satisfied smirk on his lips towards the work he had done on Matt's body, he turned back towards the door, putting on a pair of boxers before exiting the room. Seeing something out of the corner of his eyes, Tai couldn't help but jump when he turned to face his boyfriend's father. "M-Mr. Ishida?" he stuttered nervously. "H-how long have you been home?"

"L-long enough," the man replied, looking very uncomfortable in the situation as well. "Can you tell Matt I want to talk to him… once he's ready?"

"I'm, uh, just going to clean up…" Tai stated, pointing towards the bathroom. "I'll be sure to… uh… tell him once I get out…" Hiroaki nodded quickly, turning back to the living room and letting the brunette continue on to his much needed shower; it really had been quite awkward to talk to the boy with fresh semen splayed on his abdomen and chest.

Left in his room with his thoughts, Matt couldn't help but go over what had happened just minutes before. His fingers lightly brushed the three bruises on his torso, the first and last ones the being the darkest. The lightest one was on his inner thigh, and he blushed deeply at the noise that one had elicited from him. The foreplay was definitely more intense than the first time, but the actual intercourse didn't seem quite as satisfying as before. That didn't mean he didn't like it, it just seemed to be lacking something that was present the first time.

His mind didn't want to think on it, the clouded thing still high from his orgasm and the seed filling his intestines. He could look back on it later, now it just wanted to push all thoughts of chores and laundry and homework away and bask in the afterglow of sex. Giving in for once, Matt closed his eyes and let time just pass by until he heard his door open again. Looking up at his boyfriend, red flags immediately went up. "Tai, what's wrong?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he opened his mouth a couple times to speak and couldn't. A third try failed, but a fourth time didn't. "Please don't blow up at me," Tai pleaded, eyes large like a puppy that feared it had done something wrong. "Your dad heard."

Three little words, and they completely floored the musician. The brunette didn't have to elaborate what he had heard, for it was quite obvious. "But… he said he'd be late…" Matt mumbled, cheeks a bright, bright red.

"And he said he wanted to talk to you…" the athlete continued, glancing around the room nervously in search of the clothes he had left at his boyfriend's house weeks ago. To try and make up a bit for the unpleasant news he had brought, Tai added as an afterthought, "I got the tub ready for you…"

Nodding slowly, Matt took a few, calming breaths before asking, "Can you help me up? And get my clothes? I should talk to him first… then I can relax in the water."

Hiroaki was sitting on the couch, absently flipping through channels when Matt came ambling into the room. He was wearing a long nightshirt which hung to around mid-thigh and stopped behind a chair, leaning on it slightly for support. "You… wanted to talk to me?" he asked, sounding a lot more confident than he actually was.

Now that the moment was on him, the older man wasn't entirely sure how he had planned on starting. He didn't want to be nosy but his fatherly instincts demanded he knew what his son was doing. So, instead, he started lamely with, "I guess I'll make sure I'm actually going to be late before I say so…"

His attempt at humor backfired, though, and Matt flinched away from words. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, shying a bit farther behind the furniture.

Sighing and shaking his head, Hiroaki quickly corrected himself by saying, "There is nothing wrong with what you've done. You were taking a chance given to you and I can't blame you for wanting to move forward with the person you love. It's just… I wasn't expecting to come home to this… I guess what I'm wanting to know is… how often? I mean… have you two been… every time I call in late? Geez, talk about a prying father…"

Chuckling quietly but goodheartedly, Matt replied with, "You just want to protect me. I understand that. And no, we don't… you know… sleep together… every time. This is only the second time we have… done that… and don't even ask about the first time because I am not going to tell you anything!"

Returning his son's earlier chuckle, Hiroaki stated, "Don't worry, I wasn't going to."

A moment of silence passed between them, broken only once the blonde spoke. "Is that all you needed?" he asked before awkwardness could fully set in. "Because if so I could really use a bath."

"Go, get cleaned up," he said, motioning with his head towards the hall. "I'll order pizza or something for dinner, so don't worry about that."

Smiling thankfully at the man, Matt said, "Thanks Dad," before heading towards the very appealing hot bath Tai had prepared for him.

* * *

**OoOoOoOoOoO** has again replaced the sex scene. Full chapter is at http(:)/angelic-hellspawn(.)deviantart(.)com/art/Digimon-Taito-Fanfic-Chapter-21-306857151

You kind of have to feel bad for Hiroaki. He just has the worst timing sometimes. :P

I can only imagine how awkward it would be for a straight father to have that kind of talk with his gay son, so I hope I did pretty good. It was hard to not laugh when thinking of the look on Hiroaki's face when he was trying to ask how many times they had sex without actually saying it. XD

Reviews are loved and appreciated.


	23. Chapter 22: Revelations

I feel pretty bad about this, since it has been just under a year (the 28th would have made it a year) since I last updated this. I've had several PMs asking if I was going to continue this, but it took this long to get enough motivation to write the next chapter. So, for the record, so long as it doesn't say completed and an overview of how the rest of the story would have gone hasn't been posted then I have every intention of taking it up again. It just might take a bit to get the motivation to sit down and write.

Chapter length: 2889 words

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Revelations**

He let out a strangled gasp as he came, his seed spilling onto the heated flesh of his younger lover just before the other boy collapsed on top of him. It was kind of hard for him to believe this was the fifth time they had done this now, especially since the time between times was getting exponentially shorter; from two weeks between the first and second time, to just three days between this and the last. He could not deny the attraction, though, nor the euphoric feeling of their bodies melding together, the pleasure and pain that told him he was alive and his own person despite feeling so intimately connected to his partner that he felt their hearts were beating as one. Snuggling up into Tai's well defined chest, Matt couldn't help but feel grateful that they had found what had been missing that second time, though; pain. His boyfriend hadn't quite believed him when he first told him, but the piece missing from their second time together was a bit of pain. It had been embarrassing to say it, but Matt realized he had enjoyed sex more when the brunette was rough with him. The sparks of pain made the whole thing feel more real, and he wanted more of Tai's raw desire for him. That he could reduce his lover to those basic, primal desires was intoxicating. Granted he would be a bit sore the next day, but that just added to the excitement of it, a lingering proof of their activities (other than the dark bruises Tai loved to leave behind on pretty much any part of his skin he could get his mouth on) and a challenge to keep himself fully composed despite the constant reminder and occasional jabs of sharp pain.

A tan hand snaked its way up a pale spine until it could mesh with the disheveled strands of blonde hair. The room still smelled of sweat and sex, and the athlete was grateful that for once his lover wasn't ruining the afterglow with something cheesy like how messy his room was.

"I'm not going to break," the musician mumbled, snuggling a little closer to his boyfriend. "You don't have to touch me so gently." He was referring to the brunette's free hand tracing feather light lines up and down his side with the fingertips.

Kissing the top of Matt's head, he replied, "Ever think that maybe I want to be a little gentle? The aftersex is supposed to be calm and gentle, right?" His only answer is a slight nod before they are left in the silence of their own breathing and the occasional word from downstairs that managed to be just loud enough to remind the two that Tai's family was watching a moving in the living room.

Tai's family was in the living room! Suddenly propping himself up him elbows, and wincing at the lightning bolt of pain that shot up his spine, he looked right into Tai's chocolate eyes that were now expecting some sort of mood-ruining comment and said, "We should probably take a quick shower." The brunette let out a dejected sigh and let his eyes fall. "I didn't say we should take it separately," he added, lifting Tai's chin and placing a loving kiss on his lips, "I just think we should get cleaned up before someone comes up stairs." Whether or not Tai heard the second part of his sentence Matt didn't know, but the light sure returned to his eyes when he realized the blonde was talking about showering together.

Sliding out of bed, he gave his boyfriend one more kiss before making his way across the room. Not even bothering to dress, he peers into the hallway really quick before slipping out and heading down the hall, leaving the blonde lying on his stomach with just a soiled blanket covering his exposed behind. A satisfied smile on his face, he buried his face into the soft pillow and breathed in the unique scent of his lover as he waited patiently for the other boy to come back for him. It only took a minute for Tai to return and carefully pick the older boy up bridal style. As much as he wanted to complain about being treated like a girl, he swallowed his pride and gave Tai his chivalry.

The shower stream was already warm by the time they stepped under it. In fact it was almost hot enough to be scalding and Matt had to turn it down a little. He was then pulled into a tight embrace, his mouth occupied by his lover's tongue. A rough rag was dragged down his spine and over one cheek to trail as far as the brunette's hand could reach down his thigh while still maintaining contact at their lips. Shivering as his lover washed the inside of his leg and then back up to clean his entrance, Matt allowed himself to be held up by the stronger boy. "You know, I can't believe how bold you've become," was whispered into his ear.

"What do you mean?" Matt gasped, slamming a fist into his lover's shoulder as he purposely brushed over a particularly sensitive spot.

"I mean my parents and sister are home downstairs, yet you still had sex with me," he clarified. "Even now, taking a shower together. Had I even suggested we do something like this just a couple months ago you would have knocked my lights out even if we were alone in the house." Unable to refute that claim, the blonde just buried his face in his boyfriend's shoulder again and let him finish wiping up the mess.

Having gotten clean first, Matt exited the shower first and grabbed a towel to dry off. At Tai's pathetic whine at his absence, he just sent a playful smile over his shoulder, wrapped the towel around his waist, and sauntered out of the bathroom. Once in the bedroom he set about the daunting task of finding his discarded clothing. His shirt had been tossed onto the back of the desk chair, the jeans in a corner, a sock under the desk… he was missing the other sock and his underwear, though, and he really didn't want to leave the latter in the room for Kari to find. Or worse, his boyfriend. He was still searching for MIA sock when Tai entered. Unlike the musician, he didn't have to search all over for the only pair of clothes ha had at that house, and instead just pulled out a kind of clean outfit out of the hamper shoved back in a corner. Had this escapade been planned Matt would have probably brought over a change of clothes and then he would've been able to redress as fast as Tai had.

Smiling as he watched his boyfriend sigh in frustration at the last missing article of clothing, the blonde going so far as to search under the bed, which considering he had removed the musician's clothing on said piece of furniture it would have been extremely difficult to toss the sock under there. "Looking for this?" Tai teased, holding the AWOL sock.

"Yeah, where'd you find it?" Matt asked, reaching towards the offending article.

Grabbing the older male's wrist and pulling him into his chest, he captured the other boy's mouth for several long seconds before answering, "It was in my clothes hamper."

Acting as if the kiss was both unexpected and infuriating (even though he had both expected and enjoyed it), Matt snatched the sock back and hurriedly tugged it back onto his foot, nearly losing his balance and falling over.

Figuring he had been "mad" at his lover long enough, the blonde was just about to turn around and give the other sixteen-year-old a swift kiss on the cheek when he heard muffled screams through the floor. Distracting him from what he had originally planned on doing, sapphirian eyes focused on the floor as he said, "I wonder what movie they are watching. Things had already been heating up between us when Kari came up to invite us so we declined, but I'm kind of curious now."

"Why don't we go down and see?" Tai suggested, getting a slight nod from the blonde and pale fingers meshing into his as they exited the room. The brunette was expecting that hand to be yanked from his as they neared the living room, but surprisingly it stayed just as firm as when it had reached for him just a minute ago in his room.

Casually strolling into the room, stopping behind the couch and resting his free arm on the back of it, Matt was about to ask just what they were watching when he recognized the movie, and realized just why he had heard Kari scream a moment before. "Do you really think it's appropriate for a thirteen-year-old to watch The Grudge right before bedtime?" he asked out of the blue, causing the three people sitting on the couch to jump and scream.

Tai's mother was the first to recover, and she couldn't help but laugh at how tense they had been. "I see you two finally decided to come downstairs," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. "What exactly were you two doing, anyway?"

"Um, well… you know…" Tai started, looking for an adequate excuse. He had to come up with something believable to cover up their true activities, that also wouldn't piss his sometimes volatile lover off.

Matt, on the other hand, barely registered that she had even spoken. Right after he had startled his boyfriend's family he realized that he still had a firm grip on the athlete's hand. Why hadn't he long since shook that hand off? Even now, with unknowing eyes just a couple feet away, he had no desire to release that hand. Holding one lightly closed fist in from of his mouth, the blonde delved into his confused mind. _"You know, I can't believe how bold you've become. I mean my parents and sister are downstairs, yet you still had sex with me." Tai had said, and I couldn't even come up with a flimsy excuse to refute his claim. Why?_

An elbow nudged the blonde's ribs, pulling him out of thoughts. "Help me out here a bit, Matt," the athlete whispered between his teeth, starting to sweat a bit as his mother's prying eyes refused to leave his face until he answered.

"You know, Tai, you're right," Matt said suddenly, looking up and only briefly meeting the woman's eyes before he turned to face his boyfriend. "I really don't care anymore, if people know," and he leaned forward and, right in front of the brunette's family, smashed their lips together and forced his tongue into the soccer star's mouth. The action was so unexpected that it took Tai a full five seconds before he recovered and kissed the other male back, easily backing the musician's tongue, as well as his own, into the older boy's mouth.

Despite the fact that she already knew, Kari was quite surprised at just how daring the shy musician just was. Sure, she knew that he would one day not care if people knew they were together, but she sure didn't think it would be this soon, or that he would come out of the closet so spectacularly.

While Kari was trying to get over the fact that she had just seen hers and her best friend's brothers in a tongue war, Yuuko was noticing another odd detail about the two; their hair was wet. As if they had just taken a shower… Her mind connected the piece and the heat rose to her face. Her son was in a relationship with his best friend, they had been alone in his room for about an hour, she had heard what she though might be thumping up there, although at the time she didn't know if she had since she was so focused on the movie, and they had taken a shower. Clapping her hands over her young daughter's ears, she yelled, "You had sex?!"

They both had to sit quietly, in different corners, through a good two hour lecture. After the movie was over, that is Looking back on it, maybe that wasn't the smartest plan in the world, but what was even more scary than Mrs. Kamiya's yelling was the stupid grin plastered on Tai's face. The cat was out of the bag, now, and it looked like his boyfriend was about to abuse the hell out of it…

* * *

"Tai, your face is creepy," Yolei said, taking another bite of her sandwich. Most of the Digidestined, both new and old, were gathered under the shade of the tree, with only Matt, Sora, Ken (who goes to a different school and could only rarely make it to their lunch), and Davis missing. The aforementioned Tai had such a huge, ridiculous grin on his face that he seemed to be concocting some massively evil plan, and no one was entirely sure if they wanted to get too close to him. In truth he was just so incredibly happy that he couldn't contain it. He had barely even heard his mother's lecture the night before, his brain finally processing that Matt was (at least mostly) passed his shy stage. And then that morning he had been so engrossed in his street make-out with the other boy that they nearly didn't make it to school on time, let along class. He also had managed to leave a fairly good sized hickey on the blonde's neck without any complaints. He was finally able to show his affections without being rebuffed or punished, so he didn't really mind being called creepy while he enjoyed it.

"I don't look creepy," he replied before moving to take another bite of… well they assumed that was spaghetti. No one really wanted to guess what the green mash on the lunch tray was, although they were pretty sure it was supposed to be peas.

"You look creepy," a voice behind the brunette stated, everyone looking up to see their three missing members. Tai seemed to suddenly forget about his food, for he nearly dropped the tray upside down on his lap as he reached up and grabbed the collar of Matt's uniform. The blonde just let out an amused sigh and allowed the athlete to pull him down for a kiss. The singular gasp from the crowd around them was soon drowned out as Tai slipped his tongue between his lips and he lost all concentration on anything outside of fighting back.

When they finally broke apart and the blonde sat down, he was quite surprised to find most of their group had already gone back to whatever they had been doing before. The only exceptions were Sora, who was smiling at them, and Mimi whose jaw had dropped nearly to the ground. "Okay, I will admit I was expecting a little bit more of a reaction than that…" Matt said, opening his bento.

"It wasn't all too hard to see," Izzy replied, looking up from his laptop. "Jyou and I figured it out months ago."

"I figured it out even before you did," Takeru stated simply, dropping a sausage octopus in his mouth. "Kari and I were trying to figure out how to get you two together for a while."

"What?" Matt snapped, turning on his little brother with his face flushed with embarrassment. _Is he saying that my little brother and my best friend's little sister knew we had feelings for each other before we knew about it?_

"Davis told Cody and me," Yolei said quickly, figuring that it couldn't be worse than what her friend had just told the two so hopefully he wouldn't be too angry with the young Digidestined.

"What?!" he shouted, turning to face the younger soccer player.

"It just kinda slipped out," the spikey-haired youth cowered, holding his hands up defensively. "She wouldn't stop bugging me after figuring out I'm dating Ken, and the situation with you two kind of just came up."

"Wait, you're with Ken?" Kari asked, making Davis' face drop. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone, were you?" He shook his head, hoping the younger male would forgive him for yet another slip up.

"Am I seriously the only one who didn't know?" Mimi asked, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she sat down next to her best friend. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" she sniffled, bringing her hands up to her wet eyes.

"I'm sorry Mimi," Sora cooed, placing a comforting arm around the other girl's shoulders. "I promised Matt I wouldn't. Everyone else ended up figuring it out on their own, but realized that Mr. Shy-Guy over there didn't want anyone to know yet so they kept it to themselves. Can you forgive me?"

A beautiful smile on her face, Mimi wrapped the tennis player in a tight hug. "Of course I can, you're my best friend," she said.

Tai's head was nearly on the ground as he tried to see around the blondes arms hiding his face. "Hey Matt, are you alright?" he asked.

"Am I really that horrible at keeping a secret? Was it really that obvious?"

* * *

One step closer to being able to say I finished this story, but still a long way from the end! Look forward to more in the future!


	24. Chapter 23: Lolita

This chapter and the next two chapters are kind of gag chapters. They are mainly funny scenes/scenarios that I came up with to put them in once they revealed they were together. Also, Chapter 25 will be the last chapter where they are in high school. Starting with Chapter 26 I will be using their full names (Yamato, Taichi, Takeru, Koushirou, ect.), as if they decided to ditch their nicknames after high school (although TK, Davis and them will still be in high school). Technically, this change is because this is the only story where I use their nicknames because this is my earliest story and I started it before I decided to use their full Japanese names.

I tried to get this out last night (around 11) but the site was messing up and I couldn't reach Manage Stories D

Chapter length: 3086 words.

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Lolita**

Matt couldn't shake the sense of dread he was feeling as he stood in front of his ex-girlfriend's apartment. She had called him just twenty minutes before and told him to come over immediately, voice sounding urgent. He wouldn't have suspected anything but he could have sworn that he heard a quiet giggle in the background, and that just made him skeptical. After all, he had to meet Tai in half an hour for their date and his friends had been playfully sabotaging their relationship since they had come out about it two weeks ago. None of their antics were harmful, it was just an attempt to annoy and tease the two. Which is why could almost feel the mischief radiating from beyond the door. Sighing and steeling himself for whatever joke Sora had come up with this time, he brought his hand up to the wooden portal and rapped his knuckles thrice against it.

It opened immediately, the tennis player swiftly grabbing his arm and tugging him inside. "Geez, Matt, I almost thought you weren't going to show up," she growled, barely giving the musician enough time to toe off his shoes before she drug him through the living room and back towards her room. He was barely able to get a wave in to her mother before the older woman vanished behind a wall. After being shoved through one more door he soon came to realize that he _had_ heard a giggle on the phone, and just who it belonged to. Sitting on Sora's bed, legs crossed, arms in her lap, and an innocent smile on her face, was Mimi. And when he heard the door close behind him he knew that any chance he had of escaping had just passed.

The two girls ambushed him from both sides, one grabbing his arms and holding them above his head while the other snatched the hem of his shirt. Before he could really register what was going on, the material was slipped over his head and dropped unceremoniously to the floor. His mind finally caught up to the attack when Mimi's hands once again began working on his clothing, this time his belt. "Hey, what are you doing?" he snapped, shaking the two off and taking a couple cautious steps away from both of them. "Damnit, don't just throw my clothes on the floor, they'll get wrinkled! And do you know how long it took me to choose an outfit for today." His outburst only rewarded him maniacal grins.

Taking a step back for every step they took, the blonde was so intent on watching them that he didn't even realize there were more people in the room until a vine wrapped around both of his wrists. "Good job, Palmon," the pink-haired teenager cheered, clapping her hands together. Okay, maybe 'person' wasn't the correct word. "Now to get off those pants. Let's just hope he isn't going commando," she added with a giggle, making quick work of the belt now that her Digimon was restraining his hands. Luckily for them (although Matt honestly wasn't sure if they weren't a little disappointed) he was wearing underwear. They pushed him back so he was sitting on the bed as they pulled the jeans off of his legs, taking the socks with them so he was sitting there is his hands tied in nothing but his boxers, shivering a little with a deep blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Oh, there is no need to be embarrassed," Sora chuckled, gathering up some clothing piled in the chair that he hadn't seen before. "It's just us girls here, after all."

His embarrassment turned into a scowl at those words. "I'm still male," he replied indignantly, although he already knew that that joke would come up at some point during this encounter.

"For the moment," came the giggled reply, the blonde teenager eyeing the cloth in the fiery brunette's hands with more than a little fear. Laying the stack on the bed next to him, she started by picking up a white, button-up shirt. "Palmon, arms up," she told the little flower Digimon, Matt's arms immediately obeying her command. She grabbed the wrist as Palmon released it, slipping the sleeve over one hand, and then the other. By the time she had buttoned it up to his neck the blonde had resigned himself to the torture and stopped fighting it.

Matt looked down to see just what the girls were dressing him up in. While Mimi worked on unfolding the socks, he took in the shirt. It was collared and white, extending from his neck to his hips with the sleeves reaching the tips of his fingers. The ends of the sleeves were slit into three equal sections, the slits about three inches long, with four inch long, black spider web lace sewed on the inside about half an inch above the top of the slits. A loose chain encircled both wrists, sewed on at four places around the sleeve. Two were on high and the other two low, with a small cross charm at the two lower levels and slightly larger ones at the higher. To finish the shirt there were two black belts around the right arm, about halfway between his shoulder and elbow. Mimi handed him the socks at the point. They were horizontally striped, alternating red and black, and when he pulled them on they came up to just over his knees. That was not a good sign, and he actually whined when Sora sweetly told him to stand up. "Okay, arms up," she commanded. As much as he didn't want to, he extended his arms above his head and let the two tug some long material over his head. As soon as it was resting easily on his shoulders they zipped up the side. The main body of the dress was black, extending to just below his knees. It was quite formfitting, but not too snug, until it got to his waist, and then it flared out a bit. Two thin, black straps went over each shoulder, securing the dress comfortably under his arms, with a white, obviously separately sewed on, ruffle along the top and a much more seamless black ruffle along the bottom. The black material cut off in what was about a three inch strip in the center that went all the way from the top to the bottom. In that section, instead, it was white until it reached his waist, and red from the waist down and flaring a little as it reached the black ruffle along the bottom. Five more wedges of red were evenly spaced around the flared skirt, two in the front and three in the back, with a V of red ruffle sewn on at the bottom of all six red sections. Black silk ribbon was sewn on crisscrossed into X's along the middle strip of white and red cloth, as well as in the top of the red wedges, stopping about four inches from the bottom of the dress and giving it the illusion that the ribbon held the black halves of the dress together, and that the white in the center was actually the shirt underneath. Down the center in the back was more crisscrossed black ribbon, ending in a tie just above the large, red bow that was sewn at the small of his back. Just like the sleeves of his shirt there was a loose chain that went around his waist, connected to seven small rings sewn on at different heights. Most were generally around the same level, but one was a good deal higher than the others. These rings also had small cross charms on them, and a second, longer chain ran between three of the rings on his right side. To finish the ensemble a pair of black boots were shoved in his hands, and when he pulled them on the top of the boot melded into the red and black stripes of his over-the-knee socks a few inches above his ankles.

"Oooh, I knew he'd look good in Lolita!" Mimi squealed, fumbling to get her phone out of her purse and open up the camera. Before he could protest there was the distinct _click!_ of a camera shutter, and more of Mimi's fangirling squeals. No doubt she had just gotten her new wallpaper.

Leading the blonde over to the full length mirror on her closet door, the Digidestined of Love asked, "So, what do you think?"

"Can I put my clothes back on now?" he grumbled.

"No time for that," she retorted, already pushing him towards her bedroom door. "If you take the time to change now you'll be late for your date. Uh-uh—" she articulated as he opened his mouth to complain "—we can't keep Tai waiting. Piyomon, are you going to stay here with Palmon?" The pink bird nodded her reply.

He saw Sora's mother give him a raised eyebrow as he was herded through the living room, and the only thing he could do was slump a little farther as his face tinted pink. "How did you even find something that would fit me?" he asked as they exited the apartment.

"Oh, we made it," Sora replied, voice filled with pride. "Mimi helped me a lot with the actual sewing, since she is a lot better with a sewing machine than I am, and we worked on the design together, but I provided her with all of your measurements."

"You two came up with this in only two weeks?" he asked, a little surprised that they could pull something like this off in so little time. "And when did you get my measurements to use to make this?"

"No, no, we've been working on this off and on for a couple months now," the brunette clarified.

"I didn't know just who it was for when we started," Mimi added.

"I had the idea to do this since we broke up and you started dating Tai, but I didn't know just how to pull it off," she continued as they exited onto the street. More than a few people gave them strange looks as they walked down the sidewalk, making Matt try to scrunch his form up even smaller while still being able to walk. "Around Valentine's day I got the feeling that you wouldn't be hiding your relationship much longer, so I asked Mimi to help me make a dress for a friend."

"It was so much fun to make," Mimi beamed, practically skipping down the sidewalk as the three made their way towards where Matt was to meet Tai in fifteen minutes.

"Couldn't you have forced me into this some other day?" he grumbled, again figuring he already knew the answer.

"And have Tai miss the chance of seeing you in it? No way," the girl stated. "Don't worry, he'll love it," she added, as if that was supposed to make him feel better.

Instead, she heard him say, "That's what I'm afraid of…" and the two friends couldn't help it; they laughed. The blonde was silent the rest of the trip, with his two escorts carrying random conversations to pass the minutes. They also had to grab his arms and practically drag him as they got closer, the musician deciding it might be better to just chicken out than to face Tai in such a humiliating outfit. He knew that he was dating another man now, and that his friends had worked hard on making the dress (and it was actually quite flattering), but he was still a guy and had some male pride that he had to maintain. The two girls didn't seem to see it that way, though, because before he knew it they were approaching the square his boyfriend was waiting for them in.

The soccer star was giddy, the chance of meeting someplace other than one of their homes just adding to the excitement. He had every intention of pulling his lover into a long, sensual kiss when he showed up despite the very public nature of their meeting place, and let anyone watching be damned. But as he continued to scan the crowds he couldn't locate the older male. In fact, the first person he spotted was Mimi. Her pink hair made her stand out, and from there he easily recognized Sora. But who was the blonde girl between…. Matt? Blue eyes looked up from the sidewalk as the three approached, and there was no mistaking them. "Matt, are you seriously…?" he started as his boyfriend came to a stop a few feet in front of him. Chocolate eyes sized up the new look, the younger teen absently licking his lips.

"I didn't have a choice…" the blonde replied, shifting nervously as Tai figuratively undressed him with his eyes. Leaning a little towards the brunette to his right, he whispered harshly to the girl, "I am returning this after this is over."

She just smiled innocently as if she hadn't heard him and asked the other brunette, "Are you just going to window shop or are you here to buy?"

Without missing a beat, Tai replied, "How much?" The three had a good laugh at his expense, the musician's scowl deepening as he crossed his arms and pouted. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the boy repeated, taking two steps forward so he could pull the other teen into a soft hug. "You look good, you know?"

"Can we just get this over with?" Matt asked, voice revealing his impatience was out of embarrassment and not exasperation.

"Alright!" Tai cheered, smashing their lips together for several seconds before taking the blonde's pale hand and leading him away from the few gawker that were watching them. "And don't worry, I'll be getting you out of that thing sooner or later," he added quietly into Matt's ear as they were walking away, making him blush several shades darker red.

* * *

After a nice lunch at a small, family owned restaurant, the two made their way to an amusement park. They went on pretty much every ride except the little kiddie ones, with Tai even having to take the time to ride the Merry Go Round once. He tried to convince Matt to join him, but that was one thing the blonde was adamantly against. They rode the bumper cars several times, the first two times going solely for each other and then the subsequent times teaming up against the other riders. By the third time doing that, though, the other people learned what they were doing and it turned into two against eight so they abandoned that ride for a while. About halfway through their day Tai had to stop and buy a hotdog ("You just can't come to an amusement park and _not_ get a hotdog!" he said), and then almost threw it up on the next ride they went on. To make sure he could keep it down they went to play some games for the next hour, and even Matt had to laugh when the carnie manning the ring toss mistook him for a girl and started hitting on him. Try as he might, Tai just couldn't quite get that clichéd giant teddy bear for his partner. And as the sun was starting to set they decided to go on one last ride and got in line for the Ferris Wheel.

Nine o'clock found the two back at Matt's apartment, worn out from the long day they had and dumping the prizes they did win on the couch. The blonde couldn't be more thankful that his father had the night shift and wouldn't come home that night, for he knew his old man wouldn't let him live down being put in a dress. Yawning as he started towards the kitchen to splash some water on his face, he made it a whole four feet before tanned hands grabbed at the fabric at his hips. They gently tugged at it until he turned around and faced their owner, the brunette leaning in to slowly plant butterfly kisses on his nose and eyes and lips. Nimble fingers gently massaged his skin through the soft fabric as they slowly, steadily descended as far as they could. When they reached the end of their reach, still several inches from the hem of Matt's dress, they started bunching it up until he could slip one hand beneath it.

A low moan escaped passed the lips covering his own as the brunette's warm fingertips softly touched his bare thigh. They nuzzled themselves under the edge of his blue boxers, moving with agonizing slowness towards the bulge forming just underneath the thin material. He tried to thrust his hips forward and speed up his lover's ministrations, but Tai's other hand held him firmly in place and he was too distracted by the tongue battling his own to put up much of a fight. Instead he settled for a pitiful whine to tell the younger male to hurry up. He could feel the other teenager's smirk, and those fingers inched ever closer to their prize. Then the door opened behind them and both cursed under their breath.

"Geez, you two couldn't even bother to take it off first?" a somewhat irate voice muttered behind them. Both let out a sigh of relief, Tai turning just enough that he could face the girl without revealing the erections they both had. It was obvious that she knew, though, by the smirk she was trying to hide behind one hand. "I just came to drop off the clothes Matt left at my place," she said, tossing the plastic bag onto the couch. "So, do you still want to return that dress?"

"No," Tai answered immediately, grinning broadly. He was really looking forward to the blonde wearing it again, although this time in private, underwear optional.

"Okay. Just remember that it is hand wash only, alright?" she asked, backing up to the door.

"Got it," Matt replied, getting a nod from the brunette before she closed the door and headed back to her place. Turning back to _his_ brunette and thrusting his hips forward so the bulge in his boxers met the one in Tai's pants, he asked, "Should we move this to my room." His only answer was a lustful smile before he was once again pulled into a kiss, and guided down the hall.

* * *

The Lolita dress that I put Matt in is an actual dress. I have it hanging up in my closet right now. I only hope that I was able to describe it well enough that people can get a good idea of what it looks like. As much as I would like to say that I came up with it myself, I did not. I bought it off of ebay for $80 about 4 years ago.

The Digimon finally make an appearance again... I feel pretty bad for leaving them out so much; they kind of got pushed to the wayside as I got into the deeper storyline. I'll try to get them involved a little more as soon as it gets passed the time skip.

As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated! :D


	25. Chapter 24: Cigarettes and Cotton Candy

**Posted from Vacation in Hawaii!** For my mom's birthday we all took a 10 day vacation to Hawaii. The first four days were in Maui, which I have to say I liked a lot better there on Oahu. This is day eight, and I will admit I am ready to go back home now. The sun and sand is fun and all, for a couple days, but I really want my pets, and my own bed, and the rainy, chilly weather we always have at this time of year back home. Just a couple more days, we're heading back on Monday.

I would like to send a thanks and give credit where credit is due to **FallTigerKisa**, who gave me part of the idea for this chapter, as well as inspired another aspect of the first section from our conversations. To avoid spoilers, I will mention exactly what at the end.

Word count: 4032

**I do not own Digimon :'(**

* * *

**Chapter 24: Cigarettes and Cotton Candy**

Whatever was in the girl's hands had to be amusing, judging by the way she was trying to contain her giggles. It was obviously her brother's, since he panicked when she nearly dropped it, and it wasn't until the blonde got closer that he realized it was a phone. He also determined it had to be a picture—or pictures—because even as he approached the table he didn't hear the sound of a video.

He was still several table lengths away when the brunette noticed him. "TK, over here!" she shouted, waving an arm enthusiastically. Her other hand was half hiding the mirth creasing her face in a large smile, the object of her amusement tucked away in her closed fist. At his sister's jubilant chorus, Tai flinched and turned to face the younger blonde. He gave the boy a sheepish smile that made him wonder if he really should look at what his girlfriend—and it was still a little foreign to call her by that title since they had officially started going out a few weeks before—was so excited about. Still, he was already headed over to the table to eat his lunch so he might as well take the second to see what was so amusing as he went to sit down.

Placing his tray on the table, TK took a step around the chair in his way towards the two brunettes. The older one, the one who the phone actually belonged to, gave him a worried look and shook his head, both up in front of his chest and waving back and forth in an X as if to tell him he didn't want to do that, but the smaller blonde just tilted his head to the side a bit in question and continued forward. Grabbing his sleeve and practically jumping up and down in anticipation, Kari thrust the object out towards him. "Look at what Sora and Mimi got your brother in," she squealed, a very satisfied smirk on her face.

The screen was shoved in front of his face before he could look away. At the last second TK had decided he probably didn't want to know just what the thirteen-year-old was fangirling over, but by that time it was too late. The small image on the three by five centimeter screen was burned into his mind. The blonde subject was very familiar but the outfit… not so much. He could honestly say he had never expected to see his brother in anything frilly, lacey, or without pants; and he was a little embarrassed later to admit that the dress was actually very flattering on the older male. None of that thought process mattered at the moment, though, for the initial shock was all that was necessary to overload his mind and make him faint.

Stunned by her boyfriend's reaction, the absolute glee on the younger brunette's face melted away into confusion. The only thing her suddenly blank mind was able to come up with was, "Takeru…?"

* * *

He nearly choked as he pulled the toxic fumes into his lungs, a perfect metaphor for the shame he was feeling. He knew he should have been stronger than this, but he couldn't change his actions now, and he slowly exhaled the smoke and tapped the ashes off the end of his cigarette. When he was able to maintain his composure the patches worked pretty well, but with the added stress of a particularly difficult physics test coming up he finally lost it and reverted to his old habits. If Tai caught him with a lit cigarette again then the brunette would just get one more burn scar when he irately decided to put it out with his own skin.

Snapped out of his stupor, Matt quickly snuffed the glowing end out on the rail. Double checking to make sure it was really out, the blonde tossed it in a trash can just inside the door and headed down the stairs two at a time. In all honesty he was a little surprised. He had been absent from lunch for nearly ten minutes, and normally if he was gone for more than five his overly obsessive boyfriend was running up the stairs to yell at him. The only time he had ever managed to gat away with it, after the other boy knew, that is, was the day the cafeteria lady accidentally burnt some cookies and it became a free for all. His lover had been distracted by the food just long enough for him to make it back, although he did get chewed afterward and warned that he would not be so lucky again.

So where was his brunette now?

Opening the cafeteria doors, Matt was quite surprised to find he _couldn't_ find Tai. That mop of brunette hair was usually very easy to spot, especially since their entire group usually sat at the same table every day, but he couldn't see it. Come to think of it, he couldn't see the table, either, through the virtual mob of teenage girls loitering around the area. Their presence almost completely deterred him from approaching, the musician being used to having to run from screaming fangirls on occasion, but a nagging feeling in the back of his skull kept telling him he needed to.

As he drew closer to the table he could start to pick up on the conversation going on, and he was using the word 'conversation' loosely. It sounded more like an all out assault than anything decent and civil. A bleach blonde female seemed to be the ring leader of the attack and was doing most of the talking, with only a few quips from the rest of the group, and if not for a redheaded girl she would most likely already be upon her intended target. The wild-haired brunette was shrinking farther back in his seat in an attempt to distance himself for her verbal barrage, but he wasn't really able to flee because the entire table was surrounded by the blonde's entourage.

"What is going on here?" Matt demanded once he had fully taken in the scene, this foreign group of girls encasing his obviously defensive friends. The other blonde spun around immediately and squealed, launching herself at the teen idol with both arms out wide in the same instant. Already expecting that reaction, Matt had braced himself, although it almost wasn't enough to keep him standing.

Although she was a tiny, lithe thing herself, her grip was anything but light. Whether she secretly worked out or she went into Fangirling Mode and gained super strength he wasn't sure, but getting out of her grip would not be an easy task. The more he tried to wriggle out of her grasp the harder she held on, even going so far as to rub her face on his chest in her affections, which only succeeded in making him shudder. "You won't believe what that… that… _boy_ is saying," she cried, bringing one sleeve up to wipe off her tears. That was all the time Matt needed to slip out of her arms and a couple inches closer to the table. "That crude, vulgar barbarian had to be taught a lesson," she continued, hostility lacing her words as she pointed an accusatory finger at the spiky-haired brunette. "To actually claim that you two are together, to say that he has touched you in places I can only dream about—" that last sentence was accompanied by a scowl from the musician, one of those "did you seriously say that?!" type scowls "—he had to be taught a lesson."

Sighing and shaking his head, hands on his hips, walking around the table until he was standing just a foot away from his lover's seat, Matt turned back to the girl and said, "I don't know just what he has been telling you, and we will have a long conversation about what is and isn't appropriate to say in front of others—" that last bit was directed at the brunette again with the same scowl as before "—but I can clear one thing up for you…" Grabbing the front of the soccer star's shirt, Matt lifted him up out of the chair until they were standing even. Then, making sure Tai had his balance, he swiftly leaning in and captured the other male's mouth, tilting his head to the side slightly and parting his lips when the athlete's tongue ran along them asking for entrance. The mob of female fans was stunned into silence, jaws slack and eyes wide, as they watched their idol kiss another boy. Sora couldn't help but snicker at their dumbfounded looks, which earned her a glare from their leader that did nothing but make her laugh a little harder.

Ending the kiss a moment later, the blonde couldn't help but smirk and whisper just quiet enough that only his partner could hear him, "Yuck, cafeteria food."

Sporting a strange, lopsided grin of his own, Tai replied with, "Yuck, cigarette smoke. We'll talk about it later," he added when the older male flinched, a sad, understanding smile on his face. He may not have any personal experience on the matter, but it didn't take a professional to tell that his lover was trying to quit, and was simply hitting a few bumps and snags along the way. "Are you going to finish this?" he added, motioning ever so slightly with his head towards the make-shift mob that was rapidly regathering themselves.

Turning back to the girl who had previously found it appropriate to cling to him like a monkey to a tree, he asked, "What's your name?"

Straightening the imagined wrinkles out of her clothes, the girl promptly replied, "Rene."

"Well then, Rene, I do believe that this should clear up any misunderstandings about my relationship with Taichi," he stated, pulling out the chair next to the one his boyfriend had once again taken a seat in. "If not, you might want to get your head checked, because something up there isn't working right."

Paying them no more heed, Matt sat down and pulled his lunch out of his bag. Waiting a few minutes to make sure no stragglers were still around, Matt finally turned to the rest of their group and asked, "What brought them over here in the first place?"

"Please don't remind me!" his little brother blurted out instantly, grabbing his head and resting it on the table. This got both his girlfriend and Mimi laughing, while Sora tried to contain her giggles to better answer her friend's question.

"Nothing important, really," she started, looking away from the smaller blonde so she could keep her composure. "Just a conversation we were having about you."

"What did Taichi say?" he questioned, sending an accusatory glance in the athlete's direction.

"Nothing over PG-13, I promise!" the brunette replied, holding both hands up defensively. The look his lover was giving him showed that he didn't believe a word he was saying.

"He didn't say anything bad," Sora confirmed, taking her own chair and flipping it around backwards before sitting down. "I mean, nothing more than we already know, at least, and he didn't go into any detail or anything. That group just didn't like to hear that their pop star enjoyed climbing in bed with another man, even if it was true."

Another glare directed at his lover. "Hey, I didn't go into specifics!" Tai defended. "I just said that you enjoyed it as much as I did that night we got back from the fair grounds."

"He might have also mentioned what you were still wearing," Kari piped in. The smirk on her face grew as Matt's face grew to a deeper and deeper shade of red.

Turning on his boyfriend, he blurted before the younger male could stop him, "What does she mean you told them?" Tai opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off again as his lover continued on his rant. "You promised me you wouldn't say a word about! Gods, it's bad enough that they know I wore that on our date, they didn't need to know I kept it on afterwards!"

"Yamato!" he finally shouted, getting the blonde's attention before he dug the hole any deeper. "I didn't tell them that," he stated once he got the other male's attention, his own cheeks tinted slightly pink.

"I said he _might_ have told us," Kari giggled, one hand covering her mouth and the other fisted in the shoulder of TK's shirt to keep him from falling out of his chair. "Looks like TK fainted again," she commented absently, pulling him back up straight and resting his head on the table.

"And it looks like his brother is about to follow suit," Sora added, pointing to the older brother who was trying to hide his crimson face behind his golden hair. He didn't even try to respond, instead choosing to take a large bite out of his onigiri so he wouldn't have to. A round of laughter passed over the table, and then everyone divided off into their own conversations. Neither boy doubted it would come up again, at some time, in some form, but for the moment their friends were letting it drop.

The rest of lunch flew by, with the musician finishing his homemade lunch just a few minutes before lunch ended. "Tai, give me your phone," he said, holding a hand out to receive the item.

"Hmm?" the brunette asked around the remains of Sora's lunch. Whenever any of their friends had food left over it went to walking bottomless pit, so this was actually his third helping of… mashed… potatoes…?

"I don't have angry birds on mine, so give me yours," he clarified.

"Oh, ofay," he mumbled around what most of them tentatively called food, shifting his weight so he could more easily access his pocket. Fishing it out and dropping it in his boyfriend's hand, he went right back to the tray in front of him.

"Thanks," Matt said affectionately before turning back to the device in his hand.

The next set of events all happened in the span of 2.77 seconds. A feeling of dread washed over Tai, a very specific detail about his phone suddenly coming back to the surface of his mind. .14 seconds later Matt hit the on button on his phone. It took the screen .45 seconds to light up, displaying the bright, new background Tai had chosen. Matt wasn't looking at the camera, so he obviously didn't remember the picture, but he did recall getting the cotton candy for the two of them when they were at the carnival. Tai must have snapped the picture when he wasn't paying attention. Another .09 seconds passed before he lost his grip on the phone and .23 seconds later it clattered on the table. The words that the athlete was about to say was lost in the next 1.04 seconds when he slumped down as far as he could in chair. By that time the blonde had recovered, and in the next .82 seconds he had turned to his lover with an embarrassed scowl on his face, which really did a lot in diminishing its ferocity.

The two stayed like that for next several seconds until TK broke the silence by saying, "I'm not looking, Kari, I'm not falling for that again."

The girl giggled at her boyfriend. "But it really does look good on him," she remarked, giggling again when she watched his ears turn red. Looking back up at the other red-faced blonde, she added, "That's what made him faint the first time. I guess seeing his brother in a dress was really quite a shock."

Matt could only groan and fall face first onto the table. He would have landed on the phone had Tai not skillfully snatched it up first, not that he was planning on falling on it in the first place. He didn't even bother telling the other boy to delete the photo. The damage was already done, he had shown it to everyone and probably sent it to at least Sora and Mimi, if not the others as well, so removing it from one device would not have any effect. Besides, all he'd have to see is the brunette's pouty face when he told him to get rid of it to destroy his resolve, and he wasn't going to let their friends see just how whipped the soccer player had him. So instead of arguing about it he would simply ask the brunette to put something else as his wallpaper. Later.

* * *

"You should tell me, you know," Tai started suddenly a couple minutes into their walk home, drawing a confused look from the other male. "When it gets hard, quitting. I could taste it on your kiss today at lunch. I'm your boyfriend. My job is to help hold you up when you just can't quite do it yourself."

"I'm sorry," he whispered guiltily, stopping and staring at the ground.

Stopping as well, he placed one hand on the blonde's shoulder and one under his chin, lifting his face until they were look at each other. "Don't be. Just let me help you," he said. Waiting patiently for the confirming nod, which did take a moment for him to receive, a loving smile spread across his lips. "Well, I did hear of something that apparently actually works pretty well. From what I have read, electronic cigarettes are actually a pretty good tool to use to quit. They also don't taste like a campfire and you can get them in different flavors, such as cherry, or cotton candy—"

Stifling a laugh, Matt asked, "What is it with you and cotton candy?"

A comical grin on his face, Tai replied, "What's wrong with cotton candy? It's sweet, and fluffy, and made of nothing but sugar."

Chuckling under his breath and discretely leaning into the younger teen, he said, "We'll have to look into that together. What made you look them up, anyway?"

"Last week when I caught you on the roof," Tai replied, sliding one hand down the blonde's back and around to the opposite hip, pulling their bodies closer together as they walked. "You looked like you were beating yourself up as much as I could, so I left you alone, but it made me realize I couldn't just stand back anymore. I needed to help you with this, and the patches don't seem to completely work so I looked up other methods."

"Thanks, Taichi," he cooed, closing his eyes and letting his lover guide him. It felt nice to just let the world melt away, to not have to worry about his problems or the way society viewed their relationship, to be just him and the man he had chosen to spend his life with, alone—

"Tai, Matt, wait up!" A shout broke the peace and serenity the musician was trying to wrap himself in, and turning around he glared at the two approaching figures. One was completely oblivious to his scowl, the other seemed to nod his apologies at the interruption. It was the clueless one who had shouted. "Can we walk with you for a bit?" Davis asked, falling into stride beside his mentor before even getting an answer.

The two older teens untangled themselves and switched to simply holding hands, giving each other similar, amused looks before returning to their uninvited guests. "Don't you live in the opposite direction, Ken?" Tai asked to the shy bluenette who seemed to be debating whether he should try to hide the fact that his hand was firmly encased in the cinnamon brunette's or not.

"I'm staying over at Daisuke's place," he replied in his usual quiet tone, a barely noticeable smile touching his features. "He saw you two turn down here and since his place is in this general direction he decided we needed to catch up to you guys."

"Hey, I have a question for you two," Davis blurted out suddenly, right when Tai was about to say something back to Ken. "What's sex like?" He was the only one who took the next step, revealing that not even his boyfriend was expecting him to ask such a straightforward and embarrassing question. Coming to a halt as well, he added, "Well, you two have done it, right? Or have I been misinterpreting all the vague references you guys have been throwing around?"

Tai was the first one to return to his senses, albeit his face was still mimicking a beet. "You two are too young to be thinking about things like that," he lectured, wagging one, tanned finger at his miniature counterpart. "I mean you guys are still only thirteen! You shouldn't even consider sex until you are our age, at least." Matt also reminded Tai that he had tried, although unsuccessfully, to jump him at fifteen, but since it would ruin the point he was trying to get across.

Raising his hand slowly, arm shaking from embarrassment and face redder than the older soccer star, Ken remarked, "I'm actually twelve still… for the next two weeks…"

"I wasn't going to try anything!" Davis defended, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. "I didn't mean for you to take it that way—I'm way too young for that adult stuff—I was just curious."

Sighing and shaking his head before rustling the smaller athlete's hair, Tai started, "Just so long as you don't plan on trying it anytime soo—oof!" He was elbowed in the ribs by his partner. "I'm not going to tell him anything, geez!" Turning back to his smaller clone, the brunette asked, "Hey, wanna race to the end of the street?"

"Yeah!" Davis replied with equal enthusiasm. "Ken, you judge who wins so I know that Tai doesn't cheat. On the count of three. One. Two." Long pause. "Three!" And the two took off at full speed, leaving their boyfriends behind.

Watching the two take off, Matt couldn't help but say, "Sometimes I wonder why I had to choose him."

"I wonder the same thing some times," Ken replied, watching his own boyfriend for a second before looking up at the blonde who had this strange, possibly-confused look on his face. Suddenly realizing just how his sentence could have been taken, he added, flustered, "A-about Daisuke, not you and Tai."

Chuckling under his breath and messing up the bluenette's hair, Matt said, "I knew what you meant, just had to mess with you." Their partners had made it down to the end by this point and were turning back around to return, _just like a boomerang_, Matt thought. When they were halfway back down the street the blonde remarked, "In a couple years, when you two are older, come back to me and I'll give you some pointers. Trust me, you'll need them."

Thinking for a second that he was still talking about the choice they had made, he realized what Matt was referring to just about when Tai beat Davis back, and his face tinted pink once again. The four continued walking again, but it wasn't two steps later that Ken curiously asked, "By the way, when was your first time?"

Not even thinking, Matt blurted, "When Tai turned sixteen." In his mind he was thinking of how it would relate to his lover's earlier rant about how old they should before they consider doing X rated things. It didn't seem to take into account what else might be inferred from that, such as…

"So your present to Tai was your body?" Davis snickered. Matt's face raced right passed beet red to stop at Firetruck red, which in turn made the two brunettes burst into laughter. Ken at least had the decency to keep his giggles quiet, but that also could have been because the comment embarrassed him, too, and he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

It was at that point that Matt decided he really needed to think more before he spoke.

* * *

I kind of think that cotton candy is a good metaphor for innocence. It's sweet, and fluffy, and chock full of sugar... I just think it fits. So the Cotton Candy in the title doesn't only stand for Tai's love of cotton candy (and cotton candy flavored things), but also for Davis and Ken's innocence.

**FallTigerKisa** is the one who gave me the idea of electronic cigarettes, and told me about the different flavors. "New kink for Taichi?" :P The thought of putting the picture of Matt in his dress on Tai's phone came up when we PMed back and forth, so those are the two aspects that came from her. _Arigato._

As always, reviews are luffed and appreciated.


End file.
